From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishbreak with somebody/something phrasal verb1 LEAVE A JOB OR ORGANIZATIONto leave a group of people or an organization, especially because you have had a disagreement with them She had broken with her family years ago. They broke with the Communist Party and set up a new party.2 break with tradition/the pastTRADITION to stop following old customs and do something in a completely different way Now is the time to break with the past. His work broke with tradition in many ways. → break→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
break with tradition/the past• After a point, you break with the past.• Although people complained about the volume, the rhythmic concept represented his biggest break with the past.• However, the changes were not a complete break with the past.• She has broken with the past.• Would there be a total break with the past?• Yet the plan represents an important break with the past.• Can the break with the past be more vividly described?• Thinking they were breaking with the past, the early Christians re-enacted it. 