ENGLISH
REFERENCE

break the cycle

idiom
Meaning

To act so as to end a repeating pattern of harmful or otherwise negative behavior.


Examples
SIMPLE

He wants to break the cycle of bad habits.

CONTEXTUAL

By choosing a different career path than his parents, he hoped to break the cycle of poverty in his family.

COMPLEX

The new policy aims to break the cycle of systemic inequality by providing equal educational opportunities to students from all neighborhoods.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    big break

    A breakthrough, especially the first big hit of a previously unknown performer or performers in the entertainment industry.

  2. 02

    break a leg

    Good luck!; Do your best!; Said to someone wishing they perform well in a theatrical production or comparable endeavor.

  3. 03

    break a sweat

    To put effort into something.

  4. 04

    break cover

    To disclose one's real thoughts and intentions.

  5. 05

    break down

    To give in or give up: relent, concede, surrender.

  6. 06

    break even

    To neither gain nor lose money.

  7. 07

    break gates

    To enter an Oxford or Cambridge college enclosure after the hour to which a student has been restricted.

  8. 08

    break in

    To reach a state of functioning more smoothly through use or wear; to cause (something, or someone, new) to undergo this change.

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