breach 1 of 2

noun

ˈbrēch How to pronounce breach (audio)
Definition of breachnext
1
as in violation
a failure to uphold the requirements of law, duty, or obligation the president's deliberate misstatements were widely seen as a breach of the public trust

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2
as in crime
a breaking of a moral or legal code cheating on the exam was a serious breach of the military academy's honor code

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3
as in gap
an open space in a barrier (as a wall or hedge) the cat got out of the yard through a breach in the hedge

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breach

2 of 2

verb

as in to violate
to fail to keep a builder being sued by a homeowner for breaching a contract

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of breach
Noun
Creating a fake account to carry advertising is likely to be a breach of regulations in multiple European jurisdictions, Lester told Fortune. — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026 The suit seeks unspecified damages for claims including legal malpractice, breach of fiduciary duty and racketeering. — Itzel Luna, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Verb
In an affidavit cited by the Dallas Morning News last month, Howard said Wirskye considered the agreement breached after Howard mentioned during opening statements that Anthony was in the chess club, straying beyond the events under the tent. — Ben Brachfeld, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026 Israel said Syria was on the verge of breaching a security understanding by allowing Turkish troops to deploy there, while Ankara rejected Israel’s account. — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for breach
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breach
  1. violation
  2. crime
  3. gap
  4. violate
  5. infringement
  6. sin
  7. hole
  8. break
Noun
  • The violations on the report include employees not having a food handler card, as well as no drain plugs being seen when observing the plumbing.
    — Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The states argue that Meta withheld relevant information from users and parents, who might have benefited from knowing the ineffectiveness of the feature and others like it, constituting a violation of consumer protection laws.
    — John Ruwitch, NPR, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of violation
Noun
  • Which of these adults will have their real estate crimes interrupted by those meddling kids and their puppy?
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The plan involves the United States taking more direct control over Venezuelan reserves as crime and steep logistical challenges discourage private investors.
    — Evan Halper, Washington Post, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of crime
Noun
  • Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have uncovered a new processor attack that can bypass defenses in Intel and AMD chips by exploiting a security gap lasting only a handful of instructions.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
  • That’s not an easy gap to close, especially in a state with strict budget caps.
    — Theo Peck-Suzuki, Hartford Courant, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of gap
Verb
  • In its March 9 lawsuit, Anthropic alleged the government violated its right to free speech under the First Amendment to the Constitution by retaliating against its views on AI safety.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The administration is appealing a June ruling by a lower court that the ban probably violated the troops’ constitutional rights and cannot be enforced against those currently serving while the litigation continues.
    — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of violate
Noun
  • Last week, rock music photographer Justin Thomas filed a copyright infringement lawsuit in the Southern District of New York against the American painter Elizabeth Peyton, Sotheby’s, and David Zwirner Gallery, as first reported by Copyright Lately.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The lawsuit asks for a jury trial, an injunction against ongoing and future copyright infringement and unspecified damages.
    — Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of infringement
Noun
  • Van Staden was joined in the sin-bin in the next minute by Cobus Reinach for a deliberate knock-on.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Aug. 2026
  • In academia, there is no greater sin than passing off another’s work as one’s own.
    — Roger J. Kreuz, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of sin
Noun
  • McIlroy surged into the top-10 on Saturday with a 7-under 63, powered by nine birdies, including three in his final four holes.
    — Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The researchers engineered an additional GaN layer that naturally creates a second sheet containing mobile holes, called a two-dimensional hole gas, or 2DHG.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of hole
Verb
  • Kusama’s large-scale sculptures and immersive installations break attendance records at museums and galleries around the world, and her works regularly set records at auction.
    — Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Diamondbacks third baseman Jose Fernandez broke hard for the ball, and no one covered third in his place.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of break

Browse Nearby Words

brazens
breach
breached
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Cite this Entry

“Breach.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breach. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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