breakneck

[US]/'breɪknek/
[UK]/'breknɛk/
Frequency: Very High

Translation

adj. extremely dangerous or risky, as if to break one's neck.
Word Forms
Present Participlebreaknecking

Phrases & Collocations

breakneck speed

breakneck pace

Example Sentences

drove at breakneck speed.

we were bombing down the motorway at breakneck speed.

The Leibstandarte was ordered to link up with the paras and it raced 290km (180 miles) east at breakneck speed.

The breakneck speed of the roller coaster made my heart race.

She drove at breakneck speed to get to the hospital in time.

The breakneck competition for the job was intense.

He completed the task at breakneck speed.

The breakneck pace of technological advancements is staggering.

The breakneck descent down the mountain was thrilling.

The breakneck growth of the company led to some challenges.

The breakneck changes in the industry require us to adapt quickly.

The breakneck schedule left little time for rest.

The breakneck tempo of the music energized the crowd.

Real-world Examples

Confound the fellow! It's a most breakneck place.

Source: The Sign of the Four

Hitting either target would entail transforming economies at a breakneck pace.

Source: The Economist (Summary)

How does Kim's regime evade heavy sanctions advancing its nuclear end ballistic missile programs at breakneck speed?

Source: CNN 10 Student English of the Month

" They'd rather have that breakneck cousin for her than you" .

Source: Gone with the Wind

Mr Zou's class moves through the maths curriculum at breakneck speed.

Source: BBC documentary "Chinese Teachers Are Coming"

Suspenseful, involving, and paced at breakneck speed, The Firm sold roughly nine gazillion copies.

Source: Stephen King on Writing

We're chewing through massive quantities of both renewable and non-renewable resources at a breakneck speed.

Source: Modern University English Intensive Reading (2nd Edition) Volume 4

A resource boom fueled by China's breakneck development has attracted millions of migrants to the region.

Source: BBC Listening February 2014 Collection

This whole process took nearly two years, but I was told that they were all working at breakneck speed.

Source: TED Talks (Audio Version) March 2015 Collection

But this one is at breakneck speed.

Source: Financial Times Podcast

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