break & continue

break

break exits the loop immediately. It is commonly used when you found what you need and there is no reason to keep iterating.

<?php
$numbers = [2, 4, 7, 10];
$foundOdd = null;

foreach ($numbers as $n) {
  if ($n % 2 === 1) {
    $foundOdd = $n;
    break;
  }
}

var_dump($foundOdd); // 7

continue

continue skips the current iteration and moves to the next. It is useful for filtering.

<?php
$items = ['ok', '', 'ok2', '   '];

foreach ($items as $item) {
  if (trim($item) === '') {
    continue;
  }
  echo $item . PHP_EOL;
}

break with Levels (Nested Loops)

In nested loops, you can break out of multiple levels by passing a number. Use this carefully—sometimes it is clearer to refactor into a function and return early.

<?php
$matrix = [
  [1, 2, 3],
  [4, 5, 6],
  [7, 8, 9],
];

$target = 5;
$pos = null;

for ($r = 0; $r < count($matrix); $r++) {
  for ($c = 0; $c < count($matrix[$r]); $c++) {
    if ($matrix[$r][$c] === $target) {
      $pos = [$r, $c];
      break 2; // exit both loops
    }
  }
}

var_dump($pos); // [1, 1]

Production Tip

Use continue for quick input filtering and guard-style logic. Use break when you can stop early for performance and clarity.