JavaScript break and continue Statements Explained


In JavaScript, break and continue are control flow keywords used inside loops to alter their behavior.



1. break Statement – Exit the loop early

  • Stops the loop completely when a certain condition is met.
  • Useful when you want to exit a loop prematurely.

Example:

for (let i = 1; i <= 5; i++) {
  if (i === 3) {
    break; // Exit loop when i is 3
  }
  console.log("Value: " + i);
}

Output

Value: 1
Value: 2

Explanation:

When i becomes 3, break stops the loop immediately.



2. continue Statement – Skip to the next loop iteration

  • Skips the current iteration, but continues the loop.
  • Used when you want to ignore certain conditions but keep looping.

Example:

for (let i = 1; i <= 5; i++) {
  if (i === 3) {
    continue; // Skip the rest when i is 3
  }
  console.log("Number: " + i);
}

Output

Number: 1
Number: 2
Number: 4
Number: 5