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breakaway

/ˈbɹeɪkəweɪ/adjective, noun

breakaway is spelled B-R-E-A-K-A-W-A-Y: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 1.5 times per million words in written English, the 22,651st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, breakaway means “Having broken away from a larger unit” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in breakaway?

Letters9: B-R-E-A-K-A-W-A-Y
Syllables3 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing1.5 times per million words; the 22,651st most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is breakaway?

Breakaway appears 1.5 times per million words in written English, the 22,651st most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce breakaway?

  • /ˈbɹeɪkəweɪ/

Breakaway has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Flame,_not_lame-breakaway.wav, EN-AU_ck1_breakaway.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Words people confuse with breakaway

Also written: break away (one word or two).

Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).

Forms of breakaway

  • breakaways plural

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does breakaway mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

adjective

  1. 1

    Having broken away from a larger unit.

    The breakaway republic is slowly establishing order and civil society.

  2. 2

    Capable of breaking off without damaging the larger structure.

    a breakaway wall

  3. 3

    Occurring during or as a result of a breakaway (see Noun)

  4. 4

    Enjoying rapid popular success.

noun

  1. 1

    The act of breaking away from something.

  2. 2

    A group of riders which has gone ahead of the peloton.

  3. 3

    A situation in the game where one or more players of a team attack towards the goal of the other team without having any defenders in front of them.

  4. 4

    The act of getting away from one's opponent; the separation of the boxers after a spell of infighting.

  5. 5

    AustraliaA stampede of animals.

  6. 6

    AustraliaAn animal that breaks away from a herd.

  7. 7

    AustraliaAn eroding steep slope on the edge of a plateau; an escarpment.

  8. 8

    AustraliaA channel of floodwater that has burst from its usual course; or the track or channel eroded by the water.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Breakaway in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchdissident (having broken away from a larger unit), échappée (in cycling)
Germanabtrünnig, separatistisch (having broken away from a larger unit), Lossagung, Absplitterung, Loslösung, Ausbrechen (act of breaking away from something)
Spanishseparado, separatista (having broken away from a larger unit), escapado (in cycling)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does breakaway come from?

From break + away, a deverbal from break away.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

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