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 fractured
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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 spread
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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 fractured
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 spread
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
Emilia Otte, Hartford Courant, 8 Mar. 2025
Ware will sit out his third straight game because of a knee sprain, Jovic will miss his seventh straight game with a broken hand, Wiggins will be held out of his fifth straight game with an ankle sprain and Burks will miss his first game with a back issue.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2025
Matthew Fairburn, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
When the pot was broken, the gifts would spill out, acting as an offering to Huitzilopochtli.
—Monica Navarro, The Arizona Republic, 24 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for broken
Adjective
In testimony to the committee, Higgins said stops for broken headlights shouldn’t be eliminated, noting that most fatal crashes happen at night.
—Emilia Otte, Hartford Courant, 8 Mar. 2025
Ware will sit out his third straight game because of a knee sprain, Jovic will miss his seventh straight game with a broken hand, Wiggins will be held out of his fifth straight game with an ankle sprain and Burks will miss his first game with a back issue.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2025
Verb
Buffalo’s season is all but over, and the team has looked broken.
—Matthew Fairburn, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
When the pot was broken, the gifts would spill out, acting as an offering to Huitzilopochtli.
—Monica Navarro, The Arizona Republic, 24 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for broken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broken
Adjective
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As in so many shows about big conspiracies, Dope Thief’s pacing gets a bit jagged toward the end of its eight episodes.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
14 Mar. 2025
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Mix grains of cobalt, mined in Labrador, with potash, quarried in Saskatchewan, and whisks of beaver tail, all of it steeped over sharp, jagged Yukon ice.—
Scott Simon,
NPR,
8 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The main story is very strangely uneven, the routes and caves are often straight pathways with little in them, and none of it is really difficult at all.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
12 Mar. 2025
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The formula’s thicker consistency also smooths the nail out, filling in any ridges and uneven texture of the polish.—
Siena Gagliano,
Allure,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Details matter, as the characters in Season 2 never stopped reminding us.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
8 Jan. 2025
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In the first day or so after the snow stopped falling, Unified Government crews focused on clearing major thoroughfares.—
Alecia Taylor,
Kansas City Star,
8 Jan. 2025
Verb
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But even if Rossi does get demoted to PP2, his even-strength time alongside an MVP-caliber winger should make up for it.—
Shayna Goldman,
The Athletic,
3 Jan. 2025
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Dillingham recalled his early days as a graduate assistant and the time then-Arizona State coach Todd Graham demoted him so former quarterback Taylor Kelly could take his position.—
Doug Haller,
The Athletic,
30 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The plaintiffs seek a declaratory judgment that the commission, by approving the plans, has violated their fundamental rights.—
Amy Green,
Orlando Sentinel,
24 Dec. 2024
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Months later, the Department of Justice concluded that five Texas juvenile detention centers violated children's constitutional and civil rights.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA TODAY,
24 Dec. 2024
Verb
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People only become dependent if every problem is solved for them.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes,
6 Jan. 2025
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This under-desk walking pad solved my problem.—
Cecily McAndrews,
Health,
5 Jan. 2025
Verb
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After realizing the mother of three was awake, the intruder immediately bolted out out of the room.—
Vivian Kwarm,
New York Daily News,
17 Dec. 2024
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An overdose episode — Kiana bolted barefoot from their rural home and went missing overnight in the woods — brought police attention and led to charges for child endangerment.—
John Branch,
New York Times,
24 Nov. 2024
Verb
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That evening outside Eaton Canyon, the fire spread without halting.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2025
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The ripple effects of the tense relations with the US have spread through Canadian society, with fans at NHL and NBA games in Canada even booing the US national anthem.—
Hira Humayun,
CNN,
9 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Broken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
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