broke 1 of 2

Definition of brokenext

broke

2 of 2

verb

past tense of break
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as in demoted
to bring to a lower grade or rank the captain was broken to lieutenant commander for disobeying a direct order from his group commander

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as in deciphered
to change (as a secret message) from code into ordinary language Alan Turing and the Bletchley Park mathematicians broke the Enigma code being used by the Nazis

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as in plowed
to cut into and turn over the sod of (a piece of land) using a bladed implement farmers once broke fields with horse-drawn plows

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as in died
to stop functioning after working for 30 years, the pump simply broke one day

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as in ruined
to cause to lose one's fortune and become unable to pay one's debts another bad investment could break him

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as in surfaced
to penetrate the surface (as of water) from below dolphins were breaking all around the boat

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of broke
Adjective
Azamat and Tansholpan are completely broke. Leo Barraclough, Variety, 21 Jan. 2026 Too broke for a sit-down restaurant? Allyson Reedy, Denver Post, 14 Jan. 2026
Verb
With the support of Lake County leaders, John Deere recently broke ground at 234 acres of farmland just southwest of Interstate 65 and Indiana 2. Anna Ortiz, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2026 The two women saw broke, scared Diann alone in the lobby of a motel and invited her to stay with them. Lilit Marcus, CNN Money, 31 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for broke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broke
Adjective
  • The latest information from the National Council on Problem Gambling shows adolescent problem gambling leads to a complex mix of criminal behavior, poor academic achievement, truancy, financial problems, depression, suicide and substance abuse.
    Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 3 Feb. 2026
  • Congratulations to Umpire Engzell for being virtually the only person to call her out on her poor tennis behavior.
    Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 3 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Types of polar vortex events Meteorologists generally track two main ways the polar vortex behaves when it’s disrupted.
    Brandi D. Addison, Cincinnati Enquirer, 3 Feb. 2026
  • For the operation, the team used a multi-node mesh network that could reroute data automatically through other available noted, if certain parts of the network were disrupted.
    Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 3 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • That was followed days later by the US strike on Iran, which effectively ended the process.
    Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
  • The organization behind the initiative ended last year with just under $46,000 in cash, according to a state campaign document filed Monday.
    Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Border Patrol commander-at-large Gregory Bovino - who led confrontational sweeps in Los Angeles, Chicago and other cities - was demoted and will soon retire, Reuters reported.
    Kristina Cooke, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
  • Wow, Huckleberry demoted to Fuckleberry.
    Emma Specter, Vogue, 29 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The sun dances to its own (currently less-than-deciphered) rhythms, moving through an 11-year-long cycle.
    Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 10 Dec. 2025
  • At first this voice from the heavens has seemingly sent a benign message but it’s quickly deciphered to be a DNA cocktail for Earthlings to investigate.
    Jeff Spry, Space.com, 14 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • But the judge’s order to reinstate Damsky was paused pending appeal.
    Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
  • The disaster shook public confidence, led to speed reductions and temporarily paused construction on new lines, but no major incidents have been reported in the 15 years since, even as the network has continued to expand.
    Ben Jones, CNN Money, 26 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The Super Bowl always drips with intrigue, including the path plowed by teams that before the season were listed as 60-1 odds to get here.
    Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 3 Feb. 2026
  • Both teams plowed through the distractions to put on a terrific second half that went back and forth.
    Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The underlying lawsuit, filed in December, alleges that federal officers violated the First and Fourth Amendment rights of six protesters.
    Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 27 Jan. 2026
  • The agency conceded that confidential data had been improperly accessed and shared and emphasized that the disclosures violated strict federal laws governing tax return confidentiality.
    Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Broke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broke. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.

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