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1. Having separated or advocating separation from another entity or policy or attitude
   "a breakaway faction";
   - fissiparous, separatist

1. The act of breaking away or withdrawing from
   "there was a breakaway by the discontented members";
   - breaking away

1. Move away or escape suddenly
   "The horses broke away from the stable";
   - break, break out
    
2. Break off (a piece from a whole)
   "Her tooth broke away";
   - chip, chip off, come off, break off
    
3. Interrupt a continued activity
   - break
    
4. Withdraw from an organization or communion
   "After the break up of the Soviet Union, many republics broke away";
   - secede, splinter
    
5. Flee; take to one's heels; cut and run
   "If you see this man, break away!";
   - scat [informal], run, scarper [Brit, informal], turn tail [informal], lam [N. Amer, informal], run away, hightail it [N. Amer, informal], bunk [informal], head for the hills [informal], take to the woods [informal], escape, fly the coop [informal], leg it [Brit, informal]

Derived forms: breaking away, breakaways, broken away, breaks away, broke away

See also: independent

Type of: break, break loose, break up, divide, escape, get away, go away, go forth, leave, off [informal], part, secession, separate, split, split up, withdrawal

Encyclopedia: Breakaway, Queensland