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circuit breaker
noun
: a switch that automatically interrupts the current of an overloaded electric circuit
Examples of circuit breaker in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
First, make sure the circuit breaker is turned off.
—Sara Kendall, Miami Herald, 23 May 2024
The outages potentially contributed to the accident, which came about when the vessel’s electrical circuit breakers tripped, leading to a loss of propulsion and steering capacity, the N.T.S.B. said in its report.
—Campbell Robertson, New York Times, 20 May 2024
The power losses in port, originally triggered by a mechanical problem caused by a crew member’s mistake, led the crew to switch the ship’s power supply to a different electrical transformer and circuit breakers, the report said.
—Alex Mann, Baltimore Sun, 15 May 2024
The chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, Jennifer Homendy, told a Senate committee in April that investigators are focusing on the ship's electrical systems and circuit breakers.
—Joel Rose, NPR, 2 May 2024
Schneider manufactures circuit breakers and other electrical supplies, mostly for homes and apartments.
—Christopher Rugaber, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2024
The progressive thinktank Policy Matters Ohio has pitched what's called a circuit breaker, which would extend state aid to homeowners and renters who use an outsized share of their income on property taxes.
—Haley Bemiller, The Enquirer, 8 Feb. 2024
Schneider sends about 75 percent to 80 percent of its production in Mexico to the United States, including an array of products like circuit breakers and panels used to distribute and regulate electrical power.
—Simon Romero, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2024
But circuit breakers can protect people whose home values have surged even if their incomes haven’t.
—Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 10 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'circuit breaker.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1872, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near circuit breaker
Cite this Entry
“Circuit breaker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/circuit%20breaker. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
Kids Definition
circuit breaker
noun
: a switch that automatically stops the flow of electric current in an overloaded circuit
More from Merriam-Webster on circuit breaker
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about circuit breaker
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