# break the wheel

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/break-the-wheel
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To end a pattern of oppression, inequality, injustice, or abuse.

## Examples

- They want to break the wheel of unfair rules.
- She works hard to break the wheel of poverty in her family.
- The activists organized a protest to break the wheel of corruption that has controlled the city for decades.
- The new manager promised to break the wheel of toxic office politics by rewarding honesty instead of secret competition among the staff.
- By challenging the long-standing traditions that kept the lower classes in poverty, the young leader sought to break the wheel of systemic inequality once and for all.

## Origin

The phrase was prompted by the 2015 television episode Hardhome, part of the series Game of Thrones. In this episode, the character Daenerys Targaryen discusses her intention to reclaim the Iron Throne and declares her resolve to break the wheel of the existing political order. Though the concept of disrupting a cycle of power is ancient, this specific phrasing entered the general lexicon through this piece of popular fiction.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.