breakneck

adjective

break·​neck ˈbrāk-ˈnek How to pronounce breakneck (audio)
: very fast or dangerous
breakneck speed

Examples of breakneck in a Sentence

the breakneck production of naval vessels during World War II
Recent Examples on the Web The economy added a staggering 517,000 jobs in January, more than double the employment growth a month prior and well above the breakneck pace of some 400,000 monthly jobs added on average last year, according to government data released on Friday. Max Zahn, ABC News, 3 Feb. 2023 At five half-hour episodes, Cunk on Earth is a consistently droll, frequently delightful series that mixes high and low comedy at a breakneck pace. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Jan. 2023 Transferring in from Tennessee, the program currently defining the tempo genre, Jackson is well-acquainted with playing football at a breakneck pace. Zach Osterman, The Indianapolis Star, 28 Jan. 2023 Some may be duplicates, but regardless, twisters have been swarming the South at breakneck pace. Matthew Cappucci, Ben Brasch and Scott Dance, Anchorage Daily News, 25 Jan. 2023 But what the Warriors do is play at a breakneck pace. Michael Arinze, Chicago Tribune, 25 Jan. 2023 The suspenseful ‘Missing’ plows through nearly two hours of shocking plot twists at a breakneck pace. Mark Olsenstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2023 However, their days of breakneck growth and extraordinary profitability are over, now a part of history along with China’s whole go-go consumer tech era. Zennon Kapron, Forbes, 10 Nov. 2022 Welcome to the breakneck bilingual wordplay of L.A.-based rapper Snow Tha Product. Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'breakneck.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1562, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of breakneck was in 1562

Dictionary Entries Near breakneck

Cite this Entry

“Breakneck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breakneck. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

breakneck

adjective
break·​neck ˌbrāk-ˌnek How to pronounce breakneck (audio)
: very fast or dangerous
breakneck speed
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