From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishbreak ranksbreak ranksto behave in a way which is different from other members of a group, especially when they expect your supportbreak ranks with He was the first to break ranks with Ceausescu and publicly criticise his policies. → rank
Examples from the Corpus
break ranks• Surprisingly, nine of the 31 Republicans in the Assembly broke ranks to vote with the Democrats.• 31 Republicans in the Assembly broke ranks to vote with Democrats.• The party has broken ranks, with five of its nine presidential hopefuls calling for a review of the revisions.• But I broke ranks with him.• The older sisters played too, although one broke ranks to play volleyball in her junior college days.• Moderate Assembly Republicans broke ranks with conservative members to defeat a GOP-sponsored bill that would have returned corporal punishment to the classroom.• This effort to head off support for the more costly Democratic bill failed to prevent 13 Republican senators breaking ranks.• As she approached, one of them broke ranks and went to stand over Edward, apparently addressing him.• The pairs of glassy eyes no longer corresponded, in death they broke ranks, each distended eye gone its own way.• Only then, in the shock of the open air at last, did we break ranks and go our separate ways. 