break off phrasal verb ( see also ↑ break )
1 . to suddenly stop talking:
She started to speak, then broke off while a waitress served us coffee.
He broke off in mid-sentence to shake hands with the new arrivals.
break something ↔ off
I broke off the conversation and answered the phone.
2 . break something ↔ off to end a relationship:
She broke off their engagement only a few weeks before they were due to be married.
The US has broken off diplomatic relations with the regime.
3 . if something breaks off, or if you break it off, it comes loose and is no longer attached to something else:
One of the car’s wing mirrors had broken off.
break something ↔ off
He broke off a piece of bread.