1 C1 idiomatic formal
if day or morning breaks on a place, it begins there
"A cold gray dawn broke on the empty harbor."
inseparable
break on
C1 formal inseparable intransitive
to begin upon someone or something, especially of day, weather, or waves
In plain English
to start happening over someone or to hit against something
What does "break on" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 formal
if waves or force break on something, they strike against it
"The surf broke on the black rocks below."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
The image is of something beginning or striking against a surface.
Actually means
to start happening over someone or to hit against something
Usage tip
Uncommon and often literary. Most frequent with nouns like 'day', 'morning', or 'waves'.
Words that pair with "break on"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
day morning dawn shore coast rocks
How to conjugate "break on"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
break on
I/you/we/they
3rd person
breaks on
he/she/it
Past simple
broke on
yesterday
Past participle
broken on
have + pp
-ing form
breaking on
continuous
Hear "break on" in the wild
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