subject to breakage

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "subject to breakage" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that an item or material may be prone to breaking or damage under certain conditions. Example: "Handle with care, as this glassware is subject to breakage during shipping."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

The city's system comprises over 2500 km of underground water mains, which are subject to breakage during extreme weather conditions.

Wikipedia

Ceramic sculpture is delicate and subject to breakage.

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

The spherical glass particles and irregularly shaped particles of NaCl, sugar, basalt and marble were subjected to a breakage test.

Chemical Engineering Science

Two processes underlie food comminution during chewing: (1) selection, i.e. every particle has a chance of being placed between the teeth and being subjected to (2) breakage.

Archives of Oral Biology

Cells were harvested and subjected to mechanical breakage using glass beads in lysis buffer containing 20 mM KHPO4 (pH 7.2), 2 mM EDTA, 2 mM EGTA, 25 mM β-glycerophosphate, 25 mM NaF, 1 mM NaVO4, 0.5% TritonX-100, 1 mM DTT, a mixture of proteinase inhibitors (cocktail IV-Calbiochem, La Jolla, CA), and 0.5 mM phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride [5].

Plosone

When subject to a fire, its breakage and fallout may create a new vent, allowing the fresh air entrainment and fire spread, which may significantly accelerate the compartment fire development.

Fire Safety Journal

Dysfunctional telomeres are also subject to telomere-telomere fusion that initiates the breakage-fusion-bridge cycle [31] and propagates a wave of genome destabilizing events typical of tumor cells [32].

Plosone

The numerical model is validated using experimental results from the breakage of blackboard chalk sticks subject to uniaxial compression in a cylindrical container.

Chemical Engineering Science

Third, all three CRM-derived tandem repeat loci lie in the centromere or pericentromere, regions that are likely subject to large physical forces and possibly frequent chromosome breakage.

BMC Genomics

Alternatively, in cells that lack RecBCD, chicken feet formed at stalled forks persist and so are subject to endonucleolytic cleavage by RuvABC double-strand endonuclease leading to chromosome breakage (Seigneur et al. 1998).

Genetics

An unknown fraction of double-strand breakage events are resolved to non CO products (Blitzblau et al. 2007; Buhler et al. 2007; Barton et al. 2008), which could also be subject to gBGC.

Genome Biology and Evolution

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing materials or objects, use "subject to breakage" to indicate a physical property or inherent weakness that makes them likely to break under specific conditions, such as stress or impact.

Common error

Avoid using "subject to breakage" in abstract or metaphorical contexts where "vulnerable to disruption" or "prone to failure" would be more appropriate. It's most effective when referring to physical objects.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "subject to breakage" functions as an adjective phrase that modifies a noun, indicating a quality or condition of being likely to break. As confirmed by Ludwig, the phrase is grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

42%

News & Media

33%

Wiki

25%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "subject to breakage" is a grammatically sound way to describe something that is prone to breaking. As Ludwig AI points out, it is a correct and usable phrase in written English. While not exceedingly common, it appears in a range of sources from scientific journals to news articles. The phrase serves to inform and warn about the fragility of a material, fitting into neutral to formal registers. For alternatives, consider phrases like "prone to damage" or "liable to break", but remember to use "subject to breakage" primarily when referring to physical objects rather than abstract concepts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

liable to break

Emphasizes the potential or risk of breaking under certain conditions.

with a tendency to break

Highlights the inherent inclination of something to break.

easily broken

Simplifies the expression to emphasize the ease with which something can break.

prone to fracture

Focuses on the likelihood of fracturing, implying a structural weakness.

vulnerable to fracture

Highlights the lack of resistance to fracturing forces.

fragile and breakable

Combines fragility with the capability of being broken.

susceptible to damage

Broadens the scope to include any kind of damage, not just breaking.

at risk of shattering

Specifically suggests the potential for something to shatter into many pieces.

easily damaged

Similar to "susceptible to damage", but emphasizes the ease of incurring damage.

not very durable

Focuses on the lack of durability as a factor contributing to breakage.

FAQs

What does "subject to breakage" mean?

The phrase "subject to breakage" means that something is likely to break or become damaged, especially under stress or impact.

What can I say instead of "subject to breakage"?

You can use alternatives like "prone to damage", "liable to break", or "susceptible to damage" depending on the context.

Is it better to say "prone to breakage" or "subject to breakage"?

Both "prone to breakage" and "subject to breakage" are acceptable. "Subject to breakage" is a more formal expression. "Prone to breakage" implies a higher likelihood or inherent tendency.

How do I use "subject to breakage" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe items or materials. For example: "Handle this glassware with care, as it is subject to breakage during shipping." Another example would be: "The old pipes are subject to breakage during the winter freeze."