Rank — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

the body of the community as contrasted with the elite

"the chosen few might have the opportunity for a trip in the space shuttle, but it will be a while before the rank and file are taking space trips"

the body of the community as contrasted with the elite

"the chosen few might have the opportunity for a trip in the space shuttle, but it will be a while before the rank and file are taking space trips"

to cause to separate into pieces usually suddenly or forcibly

"hated telling her that I had broken her favorite glass vase"

to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end

"the final vote broke the deadlock"

to bring to a lower grade or rank

"the captain was broken to lieutenant commander for disobeying a direct order from his group commander"

to change (as a secret message) from code into ordinary language

"Alan Turing and the Bletchley Park mathematicians broke the Enigma code being used by the Nazis"

to come to a temporary halt in one's activity

"she broke from her ruminations to find that it was already dinnertime"

to cut into and turn over the sod of (a piece of land) using a bladed implement

"farmers once broke fields with horse-drawn plows"

to fail to keep

"had to confess that he had broken his promise not to share their conversation with anyone"

to find an answer for through reasoning

"Professor Bates broke the problem when she realized that it was possible to synthesize the necessary compounds"

to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of

"I broke a tooth on the hard candy"

to stop functioning

"after working for 30 years, the pump simply broke one day"

to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening

"the herd of gazelles broke when they saw the lions racing toward them from the ridge above"

to use up all the physical energy of

"the trek up the mountain just about broke me"

to become known

"as soon as the scandal broke, the CEO fled the country"

to cause to lose one's fortune and become unable to pay one's debts

"another bad investment could break him"

to come into existence

"the crisis had passed, and a new day was breaking"

to depart abruptly from a straight line or course

"the running back broke to his left before running out of bounds"

to diminish the price or value of

"distressing economic news that will break many energy stocks"

to go beyond the limit of

"a menu with prices that is likely to break the budgets of all but the wealthiest of diners"

to penetrate the surface (as of water) from below

"dolphins were breaking all around the boat"