# compile/break
**Symbol:** `compile/break`

**Syntax:** `(break)` or `(break VAL)`

**Use-case:** Exit the innermost loop (`compile/while` or `compile/for-each`),
optionally with a result value.

**Bare form:** the lone symbol `break` expands to `(break)`, so the
Python-style spelling exits the loop. Governed by the
[`compiler/bare-control-words`](../../guide/pragma.md#compiler) pragma of the
module being compiled (`convert` by default, or `warn` / `error`); because the
bare symbol always expands, `break` can never name a variable.

**Behaviour:** Compiles optional VAL (or pushes None), emits BREAK with count
0 or 1. Runtime unwinds to the loop's break target and pushes the result.
The target is the innermost loop of the same function, through any
[`reset`](compile-reset.md) or `shift` handler between the `break` and the
loop. Inside a resumed delimited continuation the slice is the
continuation's body: a `break` there reaches only a loop opened inside the
slice, and with none it raises `RuntimeError("break outside loop")`.

**Examples:**

```koskari
(break)
(break 99)
```