From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishbreak a link/tie/connectionbreak a link/tie/connectionSTOP DOING somethingto end a relationship with a person or organization The US has now broken all diplomatic links with the regime. Sometimes it is necessary to break family ties in order to protect the child. → break
Examples from the Corpus
break a link/tie/connection• Mr Eastwood argues it would break ties with local communities.• Personnel changes confirmed the new liberalism in the Soviet Union and the attempt to break links with past behaviour. 