What does the `break` statement achieve in a loop?

The break statement is used within loops to terminate the loop immediately, regardless of whether the loop condition has been met or if there are further iterations to execute. When break is encountered, control is transferred to the statement following the loop.

For example, in a for or while loop, if a certain condition is satisfied (like finding a specific value in a list), the break statement will stop the loop from executing any further iterations. This is particularly useful for scenarios where you want to stop searching after finding what you need, thus optimizing the execution of the program by avoiding unnecessary iterations.

The other options describe behaviors that the break statement does not perform. Skipping to the next iteration of the loop describes what the continue statement does, continuing with the current iteration is also not relevant to break, and increasing the loop counter is related to the loop's own mechanics, not something break controls.