Python break, continue and pass

Loops normally run from start to finish. The Python break, continue and pass statements let you change that from inside the loop: stop early, skip a turn, or simply hold a place. They're tiny keywords, but you'll use the first two in almost every real program you write.

What does break do in Python?

The break statement ends the loop immediately. Python jumps straight to the first line after the loop, even if there are items left or the condition is still true.

contacts = ["Amara", "Ben", "Chloe", "Diego", "Emma"]

for name in contacts:
    print(f"Checking {name}...")
    if name == "Chloe":
        print("Found Chloe!")
        break

print("Search finished.")

Checking Amara...
Checking Ben...
Checking Chloe...
Found Chloe!
Search finished.

Diego and Emma are never checked. There's no point looking further once the search has succeeded, so break saves time.

break in a while loop

In the while loops lesson you saw while True:, a loop that only ends with break. Here's another example: adding up prices until the cashier types 0.

total = 0

while True:
    price = float(input("Item price (0 to finish): "))
    if price == 0:
        break
    total += price

print(f"Total: ${total:.2f}")

The user typed 4.50, 12.25 and then 0:

Item price (0 to finish): 4.50
Item price (0 to finish): 12.25
Item price (0 to finish): 0
Total: $16.75

Notice break comes before total += price, so the final 0 is never added.

What does continue do in Python?

The continue statement skips the rest of the current iteration and jumps back to the top of the loop for the next one. The loop itself keeps going.

shopping_list = ["bread", "milk", "avocados", "eggs", "basil"]
out_of_stock = ["avocados", "basil"]

for item in shopping_list:
    if item in out_of_stock:
        print(f"Skipping {item} (out of stock)")
        continue
    print(f"Added {item} to the bag")

Added bread to the bag
Added milk to the bag
Skipping avocados (out of stock)
Added eggs to the bag
Skipping basil (out of stock)

When an item is out of stock, continue skips the "Added" line for that item only. Every item still gets its turn.

continue in a while loop

With a while loop, be sure the counter changes before continue. This loop prints the odd numbers from 1 to 9:

n = 0
while n < 9:
    n += 1
    if n % 2 == 0:
        continue
    print(n, end=" ")

1 3 5 7 9

The modulo check n % 2 == 0 (from arithmetic operators) is true for even numbers, so they're skipped.

What does pass do in Python?

The pass statement does nothing. It exists because Python needs at least one statement inside every indented block. If you want to sketch out a loop, an if or a function before you've written its body, pass keeps the code valid.

for order in ["latte", "mocha"]:
    pass  # TODO: send orders to the kitchen

print("Program still runs fine.")

Program still runs fine.

Without pass, an empty block is an error:

temperature = 30
if temperature > 25:

print("Done")

IndentationError: expected an indented block after 'if' statement on line 2

pass vs continue: they're not the same

Beginners often mix these up. pass does nothing and lets the code below it run. continue jumps to the next iteration and skips the code below it.

for n in [1, 2, 3]:
    if n == 2:
        pass
    print("pass loop:", n)

for n in [1, 2, 3]:
    if n == 2:
        continue
    print("continue loop:", n)

pass loop: 1
pass loop: 2
pass loop: 3
continue loop: 1
continue loop: 3

break vs continue vs pass at a glance

Does break exit all loops?

No. In nested loops (a loop inside another loop), break only ends the innermost loop, the one it's directly inside. The outer loop carries on.

for row in ["A", "B", "C"]:
    for seat in range(1, 4):
        if seat == 2:
            break
        print(f"Seat {row}{seat}")

Seat A1
Seat B1
Seat C1

Each time the inner loop reaches seat 2, it stops, but the outer loop moves on to the next row. To stop both loops, you'd typically use a flag variable or put the loops in a function and return from it.

Real-world example: finding the first available flight

This program combines both statements. It skips fully booked flights with continue and stops at the first one that's cheap enough with break.

flights = [
    ("BA117", 640, 0),
    ("UA901", 410, 12),
    ("AF023", 520, 3),
    ("DL044", 380, 7),
]
budget = 450

for code, price, seats_left in flights:
    if seats_left == 0:
        print(f"{code}: fully booked, skipping")
        continue
    if price <= budget:
        print(f"Book {code} for ${price}!")
        break
    print(f"{code}: ${price} is over budget")

BA117: fully booked, skipping
Book UA901 for $410!

The flights are stored as small groups of three values called tuples, unpacked into three names in the for line. You'll learn about them in Python tuples. DL044 is even cheaper, but the loop never reaches it: break takes the first match.

Common mistakes

1. Using break outside a loop

age = 15
if age < 18:
    break

SyntaxError: 'break' outside loop

break and continue only work inside a for or while loop, not inside a plain if.

2. continue before the counter update in a while loop

n = 0
while n < 5:
    if n == 2:
        continue
    print(n)
    n += 1

When n is 2, continue jumps back to the top before n += 1 runs, so n stays 2 forever: an infinite loop. Move the update above the continue.

3. Expecting pass to skip the rest of the loop

As the side-by-side example showed, pass doesn't skip anything. If you want to skip, use continue.

4. Wrong indentation for break

for name in ["Amara", "Ben", "Chloe"]:
    if name == "Chloe":
        print("Found her!")
    break

This prints nothing at all. The break isn't inside the if, so it runs on the very first item and ends the loop after checking only Amara.

Practice exercise

readings = [12, 15, -99, 14, 0, 18]
total = 0

for reading in readings:
    if reading == -99:
        continue
    if reading == 0:
        break
    total += reading

print(f"Total of valid readings: {total}")

Total of valid readings: 41

What's next?

There's one more loop feature that only makes sense once you know break: an else block that runs when a loop finishes without breaking. Learn it in the Python loop else clause.