He managed to break free from the habits that were holding him back.

break 在这里是动词，意思是"打破、突破"。 free 是形容词，意思是"自由的、不受约束的"。 break free 是一个固定短语，意思是"挣脱束缚、获得自由"，常用来比喻摆脱不良习惯或限制性环境。