Wiktionary
alt. 1 (context military English) To march or charge out of the designated order in a military unit. 2 (context idiomatic English) To publicly disagree with one's own group or organization. vb. 1 (context military English) To march or charge out of the designated order in a military unit. 2 (context idiomatic English) To publicly disagree with one's own group or organization.
Usage examples of "break ranks".
He let it continue and build for a moment, judging, waiting until they were about to break ranks and crowd around him.
To their credit, the two young men didn't break ranks and flee, but just dodged aside of the lurching troll, then came right back in beside its swiping arms, smacking at it with their torches, the fires bubbling the troll's mottled green and gray skin.
From time to time a man would break ranks to snatch a green apple or an ear of unripe corn from the farmlands on either side of the road, while other men broke ranks to be ill behind a hedge, but always they hurried on after their com-rades and pushed themselves back into line.
They did not run, they did not break ranks, but stepped swiftly backwards to leave the enemy's horse room to sweep across their front, and, as the horsemen passed, those of Dodd's men who still had loaded muskets fired.