Grammar fix

break a habit

stop a habit

to stop doing something you have done regularly for a long time

collocationB2common

Hear it in context

Notice where the phrase sounds natural.

It took me months to break the habit of checking my phone in bed.health
Bad habits are easy to form but hard to break, especially ones you've had since childhood.IELTS Part 3

Pattern: break a habit / break the habit of doing something

WrongI want to stop my habit of biting my nails.

RightI want to break my habit of biting my nails.

We BREAK a habit (the opposite is form/pick up a habit).

Patternbreak a habit / break the habit of doing something

Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.

Stiff It is difficult to discontinue a long-established habit.

Natural It's hard to break a habit you've had for years.

'Break a habit' is the fixed collocation; 'discontinue a habit' is unnatural.

Words that usually travel with it.

Breaking a habit is ending an old behaviour, not starting one.