# take a breather

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/take-a-breather
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To take a break; to pause or relax briefly.

## Examples

- Let's take a breather before we continue.
- After three hours of studying, she decided to take a breather and make some tea.
- The climbers, exhausted from the steep ascent, paused on a narrow ledge to take a breather and survey the valley below.

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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.