Synonyms of broke
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as in poor
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as in disrupted
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as in ended
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as in demoted
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as in deciphered
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as in paused
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as in plowed
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as in violated
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as in solved
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as in damaged
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as in died
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as in retreated
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as in wore
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as in circulated
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as in ruined
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as in began
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as in veered
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as in reduced
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as in exceeded
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as in surfaced
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Example Sentences
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Entries Near
as in poor
lacking money or material possessions
too broke to afford even a used car
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Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in disrupted
to cause to separate into pieces usually suddenly or forcibly
hated telling her that I had broken her favorite glass vase
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2
as in ended
to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end
the final vote broke the deadlock
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3
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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4
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in paused
to come to a temporary halt in one's activity
she broke from her ruminations to find that it was already dinnertime
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6
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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7
as in violated
to fail to keep
had to confess that he had broken his promise not to share their conversation with anyone
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in solved
to find an answer for through reasoning
Professor Bates broke the problem when she realized that it was possible to synthesize the necessary compounds
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9
as in damaged
to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of
I broke a tooth on the hard candy
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10
as in died
to stop functioning
after working for 30 years, the pump simply broke one day
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11
as in retreated
to hasten away from something dangerous or frightening
the herd of gazelles broke when they saw the lions racing toward them from the ridge above
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12
as in wore
to use up all the physical energy of
the trek up the mountain just about broke me
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13
as in circulated
to become known
as soon as the scandal broke, the CEO fled the country
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14
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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15
as in began
to come into existence
the crisis had passed, and a new day was breaking
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16
as in veered
to depart abruptly from a straight line or course
the running back broke to his left before running out of bounds
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17
as in reduced
to diminish the price or value of
distressing economic news that will break many energy stocks
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
18
as in exceeded
to go beyond the limit of
a menu with prices that is likely to break the budgets of all but the wealthiest of diners
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of broke
Chris Nashawaty, Vanity Fair, 16 Feb. 2026
And Cannon — who played with the Houston Oilers, Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs — admitted to counterfeiting in the mid-1980s after a series of bad investments and debts left him broke.
—Seung Min Kim, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
ABC News, 21 Mar. 2026
But Sinner broke Zverev in both the fifth and seventh games to secure the first set.
—Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for broke
Adjective
Scrounging for any kind of role in 60s New York, chasing girls, lending money to whichever of them was the most broke, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, and Robert Duvall shared the risks, the rejections, and a fascination with the human drama.
—Chris Nashawaty, Vanity Fair, 16 Feb. 2026
And Cannon — who played with the Houston Oilers, Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs — admitted to counterfeiting in the mid-1980s after a series of bad investments and debts left him broke.
—Seung Min Kim, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
Verb
But Wilson broke his left hand days later at Miami.
—ABC News, 21 Mar. 2026
But Sinner broke Zverev in both the fifth and seventh games to secure the first set.
—Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for broke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broke
Adjective
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While youth suicide remains a leading cause of death, the youth suicide rate is down in Colorado, and the number of kids reporting poor mental health also dropped from 23% in 2023 to 14% in 2025.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
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The launch came amid overcast skies and a weather forecast that was reduced to just a 75% chance for good conditions, according to Space Launch Delta 45’s weather squadron, which also noted a moderate risk for poor conditions at the booster landing site.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The war with Iran has disrupted oil production and distribution as the Islamic Republic targets shipping traffic and energy infrastructure with the intention of inflicting economic pain on its adversaries.—
Claire Malon,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
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But the war with Iran has also disrupted some key air shipping lanes, particularly to Europe.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Mustangs’ season ended March 6 with a 23-11 record after a 69-56 loss to Bishop McNamara in the Class 2A Seneca Sectional final.—
Rick Armstrong,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Mar. 2026
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The rally followed a recent fact-finding process—a formal step in labor negotiations—which took place last Monday and Wednesday, during which union leaders said the district ended discussions early.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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After all, his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, demoted him as a working royal but didn’t do much else and provided him with the money to pay a settlement to Virginia Giuffre.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
18 Mar. 2026
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Just beware of adding something really wacky—like raisins—or you’ll be put on potluck probation and demoted to plate-and-napkin duty.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Researchers using advanced imaging technology have deciphered 79 previously invisible inscriptions — including love notes, drawings of gladiators, and everyday messages — on a wall in the ancient city of Pompeii, offering a rare window into the lives of ordinary people nearly 2,000 years ago.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Mar. 2026
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Using this method, researchers deciphered 79 additional inscriptions that had eluded scholars for generations.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Currently, the case is paused regarding Gateway and its current elders.—
Michelle Casady,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Mar. 2026
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After reducing its benchmark interest rate three times in the final four months of 2025, the central bank kept interest rates paused in January.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Denver has plowed money into its offensive and defensive lines and extended 10 players over the past 18 months, but perhaps no group has received more extensive and consistent investment than the receivers.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
18 Mar. 2026
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Last week, a woman in Redding plowed her truck through a red light while using FaceTime.—
Rachel Swan,
San Francisco Chronicle,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Murphy, who was nominated to the bench by President Joe Biden, said Kennedy’s reconstitution of ACIP likely violated federal law.—
Lisa Schencker,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
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Murphy, who was nominated to the bench by President Joe Biden, said Kennedy's reconstitution of ACIP likely violated federal law.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Broke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broke. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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