completely breaking

USAGE SUMMARY

"completely breaking" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to describe something that is entirely or thoroughly breaking apart or failing. Example: "The storm caused the bridge to be completely breaking under the pressure." Alternative expressions include "totally collapsing" and "fully shattering."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

15 human-written examples

Even if his personal circumstances had been different, would there ever have been a way to sustain such detail without completely breaking the attention spans of readers?

The Guardian - Books

"Please do not make me a hero," Mr. Ghonim said in a voice trembling with emotion, and later completely breaking down when told of the hundreds of people who have died in clashes since the Jan . 25protests began.

The New York Times

On Monday, the government-appointed Independent Commission on Banking called for banks to separate their deposit-taking operations from investment banking services, stopping short of completely breaking up the firms.

The New York Times

"We are completely breaking these texts down to their data-rich components," said Mark Douglas, a partner in Culinate, a food technology company in Portland, Ore., that produces the app for "How to Cook Everything" by Mark Bittman, the New York Times writer.

The New York Times - Food

They say he extracts greatness from them by knowing what each player can do, putting each in position to do it, by completely breaking down an opponent, attacking where the opponent is weak and then turning up the heat mercilessly in that area.

The New York Times - Sports

Bailly would be completely breaking down barriers and opening up a new perspective on what people will pay for these things.

Forbes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

42 human-written examples

He was completely broken.

The Guardian

My body was completely broken.

The New York Times

'Afterwards, I was completely broken.

The Guardian

The morale is completely broken".

The New Yorker

"I completely broke down," he said.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Place the adverb 'completely' before the participle 'breaking' to give rhetorical weight to the extent of the action in descriptive writing.

Common error

Do not use "completely breaking" if the context already implies a total break and the addition of 'completely' makes the sentence unnecessarily wordy. For example, in a technical manual, 'breaking the seal' often suffices without 'completely' unless partial breaking is a possibility.

Linguistic Context

In sentences analyzed by Ludwig, "completely breaking" primarily functions as an adverbial phrase modifying a present participle. It can act as part of a continuous verb tense describing an ongoing total failure, or as a gerund phrase serving as the object of a preposition (e.g., "without "completely breaking" the budget").

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Science

15%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

3%

Social Media

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "completely breaking" is a robust and grammatically correct English construction used to denote total disruption or a radical shift. Analysis from Ludwig shows that it is particularly prevalent in News & Media and Scientific contexts, often describing the failure of systems, emotional states or the abandonment of traditional paradigms. Ludwig AI highlights its versatility as both a description of a physical event (like an instrument failure) and a metaphorical one (like a financial budget or a social norm). While synonymous with phrases like "entirely shattering", it is preferred for its clarity and rhetorical strength in professional writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

totally collapsing

Focuses on the structural failure of a system or physical object

entirely shattering

Implies a more violent or sudden physical destruction

completely fracturing

Highlights the creation of multiple breaks or divisions within a unit

fully disintegrating

Suggests a gradual but total process of falling apart into small pieces

wholly severing

Specifically used for cutting off ties, relationships or physical connections

utterly dismantling

Often refers to the deliberate taking apart of an organization or theory

thoroughly failing

Shifts the focus from the act of breaking to the lack of successful function

radically departing

Used when the break is from a tradition, style or conventional method

completely dissolving

Implies a liquid-like disappearance of bonds or formal agreements

effectively ending

Describes the practical result of a break without focusing on the mechanics

FAQs

How to use "completely breaking" in a sentence?

You can use "completely breaking" to describe a total failure or a radical shift. For example: "The new design was a success in "completely breaking" with traditional aesthetics."

What can I say instead of "completely breaking"?

You can use alternatives like "totally shattering", "entirely collapsing", or "fully disrupting" depending on whether you are describing a physical or abstract event.

Is "completely breaking" better than "entirely breaking"?

Both are correct, but "completely breaking" is more common in professional journalism for rhetorical emphasis on the finality of an action.

What is the difference between "completely breaking" and "completely broken"?

"completely breaking" refers to an ongoing action or a gerund used as a noun, whereas "completely broken" typically describes a finished state or acts as an adjective.