When someone "breaks the record," they surpass the previous achievement or achievement made by someone else in the history of that activity. Antonyms for "breaks the record" are "familiar territory," "falls behind," "fails to measure up," "underperforms," and "misses the mark." These terms suggest situations where the desired outcome is not achieved or has already been achieved before. Familiar territory implies a lack of progress, while the others suggest failure or underachievement. As such, it is important to strive towards breaking records, but also to recognize and learn from our own and others' shortcomings.