Word Distinction: Breaking Things

You cannot break soft things like cloth or paper, but you can tear them, which means “pull apart so as to leave rough edges”, or cut them, which means “divide by using a sharp edge”:
He tore the letter into pieces.
I cut the cake with a knife.
Things made of glass or china may break (or be (get broken) or smash, which means “break suddenly into small pieces”:
The dish smashed on the floor.
Crack means “break without the parts becoming separated”:
You’ve cracked the window but luckily you haven’t broken it.
Burst means “break suddenly from pressure inside”:
She blew up the paper bag until it burst.