From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishbreak into a sweat/break out in a sweatbreak into a sweat/break out in a sweata) to start sweating b) to become very nervous or frightened Drops in stock market prices have investors breaking out into a sweat. → sweat
Examples from the Corpus
break into a sweat/break out in a sweat• He was very weak and his body trembled and broke into sweats whenever he tried to sleep.• Even on a cold day, the old man could break into a sweat if he got beyond a full minute.• He broke into a sweat, began to tremble, and then asked if we could leave.• I began to break into a sweat.• I noted the Handbook clearly stated that you were not to expect the police to break into a sweat over your losses. 