# Stopping Early: break, continue and Counters

A counter or running total is a variable a loop adds to each time round with $(( )); continue skips the rest of one pass and goes on with the next item, and break leaves the loop early.

![Cheat sheet for the lesson Stopping Early: break, continue and Counters: A counter or running total is a variable a loop adds to each time round with $(( )); continue skips the rest of one pass and goes on with the next item, and break leaves the loop early.](https://fsdtrainingmedia.blob.core.windows.net/public/images/2026/11/43bed87d789744faa9588cfde0e3577d.webp)

- Category: Bash
- Level: Apprentice
- Tags: break, continue, linux, loop-counter, shell-script, unix
- Updated: November 10, 2026

Source: https://www.ask-codey.com/cheat-sheets/bash-loop-control-cheat-sheet