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
David Matthews, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2026
Late in her career, Street suffered a broken left leg in a race that took place on Friday the 13th in Crans Montana, Switzerland, where Vonn sustained a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in a fall at the end of January.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Shannon Bond, NPR, 14 Feb. 2026
The vehicles were vandalized and broken into, and several things were stolen including guns, FBI identification cards and documents that included addresses, phone numbers and other personal information of some FBI employees.
—ABC News, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for broken
Adjective
Australian snowboarder Cam Bolton suffered a broken neck in an accident while training at the Winter Olympics in Italy.
—David Matthews, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2026
Late in her career, Street suffered a broken left leg in a race that took place on Friday the 13th in Crans Montana, Switzerland, where Vonn sustained a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in a fall at the end of January.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Verb
But this time, she didn't get pulled back in — the spell was broken.
—Shannon Bond, NPR, 14 Feb. 2026
The vehicles were vandalized and broken into, and several things were stolen including guns, FBI identification cards and documents that included addresses, phone numbers and other personal information of some FBI employees.
—ABC News, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for broken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broken
Adjective
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In the aftermath, astronomers used the Hubble Space Telescope and other observatories around the world to track a couple of dozen pieces of the shattered comet, in what appeared to be grouped in four main clusters of icy debris.—
Kiona N. Smith,
Space.com,
11 Feb. 2026
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The physical wounds will heal, Romero said, but the psychological toll and the shattered trust will not dissipate any time soon.—
Michael Kaplan,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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These handheld masterpieces may come with jagged edges and some discrepancy in hole size, but the flavor and texture are perfect every time.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
5 Feb. 2026
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Located in Jackson Hole, this serene landscape is home to glistening lakes, jagged terrain, and beautiful moose, mule deer, bison, and elk.—
Giovanna Caravetta,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Despite substantial investment, outcomes remain uneven, and access to alternatives is often constrained by income.—
Carol Platt Liebau,
Hartford Courant,
5 Feb. 2026
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Bets on economic resilience have recently fueled gains in companies that tend to benefit from improving growth prospects, the latest data underscored the uneven labor market characterized by limited numbers of overall dismissals and lackluster hiring.—
Rita Nazareth,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Since June, federal immigration raids have disrupted neighborhoods and communities across Los Angeles and around the nation, including at work sites, along neighborhood streets and in commercial areas.—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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This has disrupted standing deployment plans, scrambled ships to sail thousands of miles and put increasing strain on vessels and equipment that are already facing mounting maintenance issues.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That has not stopped him from being a frequent guest on cable and network television.—
Max Rego,
The Hill,
16 Feb. 2026
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Only recently had many countries stopped treating solo female travelers as a problem to be managed, no longer refusing them hotel rooms when traveling without a man, or denying them credit cards to pay for it.—
Lilit Marcus,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In Charlotte, he eventually got demoted to a backup role.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
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Internal divisions in the DA have widened since late last year, when Steenhuisen demoted Dion George, the party’s then environment minister, in a cabinet reshuffle.—
Sam Mkokeli,
semafor.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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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
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Flight operations at two airports -- one in Russia's southern city of Volgograd and the other in the western city of Kaluga -- were temporarily paused, Russia's federal air transport agency said.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
9 Feb. 2026
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In the photo, the Smiths are on an island beach where the waves have paused at their back.—
Andrew Callahan,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Broken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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