Synonyms of broken
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as in shattered
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as in jagged
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as in uneven
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as in disrupted
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as in stopped
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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 stalled
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as in bolted
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as in worn
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as in unfolded
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as in ruined
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as in originated
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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 emerged
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Example Sentences
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Entries Near
1
as in shattered
forcibly separated into many pieces
a broken vase that could not be repaired
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2
as in jagged
having an uneven edge or outline
the broken rim of the antique vase greatly reduces its value
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3
as in uneven
not having a level or smooth surface
that portion of the hiking trail consists of a long, broken mountain ridge
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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 stopped
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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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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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 stalled
to stop functioning
after working for 30 years, the pump simply broke one day
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11
as in bolted
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 worn
to use up all the physical energy of
the trek up the mountain just about broke me
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13
as in unfolded
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 originated
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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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
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of broken
Michael Marot, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Sidewalks and streetlights have safety implications to many more people than bike lanes, the proof being the millions being paid out to people injured by broken sidewalks.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Dana Santas, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
Except for the border, every campaign promise has been broken.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for broken
Adjective
One year earlier, the Indiana roster had eight future NBA players, outscored opponents by nearly 23 points per game and won their first 31 contests before falling 92-90 in the Elite Eight to Kentucky when May tried to play with a cast on his broken left arm.
—Michael Marot, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Sidewalks and streetlights have safety implications to many more people than bike lanes, the proof being the millions being paid out to people injured by broken sidewalks.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Verb
Muscle compensation isn’t a sign your body is broken.
—Dana Santas, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2026
Except for the border, every campaign promise has been broken.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for broken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broken
Adjective
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Broger initially came across the shattered skull and bone fragments before contacting del Río to investigate.—
Ryan Brennan
April 4,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
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The dark ride will pass through haunted hallways, magical dressing rooms and backstage chaos as riders dodge cannon balls, avoid shattered mirrors and escape a fiery boiler room.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The green Rio Grande rests like a ribbon in the jaws of jagged canyons.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
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The first was a gentle bell curve; the second was a jagged line, with two sharp peaks—one on the left, the other on the right.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Accessibility Due to Lupaia’s location on a steep hilltop with gravel pathways and naturally uneven grounds at various levels, this resort is not wheelchair accessible.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 Apr. 2026
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The truth is that the track record for Olympic host cities is pretty uneven.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The strikes temporarily disrupted the spacecraft’s electrical systems, but quick action by mission control kept the mission on track.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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But oil bound for Asia from this new exit point still has to pass through Bab el-Mandeb to avoid the long way around, meaning it could be disrupted.—
Flavio Macau,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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His words were underscored when police in Israel stopped Catholic leaders from celebrating a private Palm Sunday Mass in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, built on the spot where Jesus was thought to have been crucified.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
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Right away, the Bruins allowed point-blank chances to Zach Werenski and Boone Jenner in the opening minutes that Swayman stopped.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Once in a rare while, a person who was once heroically famous is demoted to infamous, and his statues disappear.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
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Always an oddity as a planet, Pluto was demoted to dwarf planet in 2006.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, scientists identified the virus, deciphered its secrets, concocted a vaccine, put it into production, and rendered the disease manageable – all within a year.—
David Blumenthal,
Fortune,
24 Mar. 2026
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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
Verb
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An appellate court has paused the order for now, and at time of publication had yet to rule on the merits.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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But now the deal has been paused amid legal challenges asserting that Nexstar-Tegna violates antitrust laws.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Broken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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