clean break

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian); “make a clean break”:

  (file)

Noun

clean break (plural clean breaks)

1. (idiomatic) The complete termination of a relationship, or exit from a situation.

   He decided to make a clean break with his employer.

   I'm ready for a clean break with my ex-girlfriend.

   • 1952, Nikos Kazantzakis, chapter 1, in Carl Wildman, transl., Zorba the Greek, New York, N.Y.: Simon & Schuster, translation of Βίος και πολιτεία του Αλέξη Ζορμπά [Víos kai politeía tou Aléxi Zormpá], →ISBN, pages 4–5:

     How bitter it is to be slowly separated from great friends! Far better make a clean break and remain in solitude—the natural climate for man.

Translations

• Note: These translations are for the verb phrase "make a clean break".

initiate a complete termination of a relationship

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 一刀兩斷／一刀两断 (zh) (yīdāoliǎngduàn), 脫離／脱离 (zh) (tuōlí), 斷交／断交 (zh) (duànjiāo)

• Finnish: panna välit poikki
• Russian: please add this translation if you can
• Spanish: cortar por lo sano (es)