coffee break

noun

: a short period for rest and refreshments

Examples of coffee break in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
What if the next security guard rolling past your office had one wheel and never needed a coffee break? — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026 At a recent sustainability conference in Los Angeles, AI surfaced in every Q&A, every hallway conversation, and every coffee break in between. — Anjali Chaudhry, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026 Make Time for a Real Break One of the habits that best embodies the spirit of lagom is fika, the traditional Swedish coffee break. — Ana Morales, Vogue, 11 July 2026 During a coffee break at a conference 10 years ago, Kurts met Wikelski, an ecologist, who was trying to solve this pigeon puzzle. — Kasha Patel, CNN Money, 29 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for coffee break

Word History

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of coffee break was in 1944

Rhymes for coffee break

See All Rhymes for coffee break

Browse Nearby Words

coffee bread
coffee break
coffeebush
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Coffee break.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coffee%20break. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

coffee break

noun
: a short period of time for rest and refreshments
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of invidious

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All