# break

`break` ends execution of the current `for`, `foreach`, `while`, `do-while` or `switch` structure.

`break` accepts an optional numeric argument which tells it how many nested enclosing structures are to be broken out of. The default value is `1`, only the immediate enclosing structure is broken out of.

<div class="informalexample">

```
<?php
$arr = array('one', 'two', 'three', 'four', 'stop', 'five');
foreach ($arr as $val) {
    if ($val == 'stop') {
        break;    /* You could also write 'break 1;' here. */
    }
    echo "$val\n";
}

   
```

ENTITY

    one
    two
    three
    four

       

</div>

Using the optional argument:

<div class="informalexample">

```
<?php
$i = 0;
while (++$i) {
    switch ($i) {
        case 5:
            echo "At 5\n";
            break 1;  /* Exit only the switch. */
        case 10:
            echo "At 10; quitting\n";
            break 2;  /* Exit the switch and the while. */
        default:
            break;
    }
    echo "$i\n";
}

   
```

ENTITY

    1
    2
    3
    4
    At 5
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    At 10; quitting

       

</div>