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
Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 1 May 2026
The headline from Vinny Mauri’s story is, some things are still meritocratic in this broken world.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 1 May 2026
Megan De Mar, CBS News, 1 May 2026
Certain Evergreens Evergreens seldom need to be pruned other than to remove branches that are broken or a potential safety hazard.
—Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for broken
Adjective
Fade and broken pieces are major eyesores.
—Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 1 May 2026
The headline from Vinny Mauri’s story is, some things are still meritocratic in this broken world.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 1 May 2026
Verb
That road is still in disrepair, the building's front door is broken, as is the glass that welcomes people to the lobby.
—Megan De Mar, CBS News, 1 May 2026
Certain Evergreens Evergreens seldom need to be pruned other than to remove branches that are broken or a potential safety hazard.
—Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for broken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broken
Adjective
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Charles also invoked America's help in rebuilding a shattered European continent after World War II.—
Freddie Clayton,
NBC news,
29 Apr. 2026
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Upon arrival, police found the front glass door open and shattered and there was glass everywhere.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The plane hitting the water is destructive enough without the help of a jagged coral reef (improbably far from any coastline) slicing through the aircraft’s undercarriage.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
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Known for their jagged peaks, glacial lakes, and vast icefields, the Canadian Rockies are among the world’s most stunning mountain ranges, forming a natural divide between Alberta and British Columbia.—
Taryn White,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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And the uneven availability cost him a chance to fully adjust to his new role within the organization.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
30 Apr. 2026
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Heavy rain can wash away grass seed and cause uneven growth or bare spots in your lawn.—
Lee Wallender,
The Spruce,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The United Nations Development Programme reports that higher energy prices, disrupted food systems, and economic slowdowns triggered by the war could push up to thirty-two million people globally into poverty.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
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Disasters threaten treatment The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration works with states to ensure that access to opioid use disorder medication isn't disrupted, Health and Human Services spokesperson Emily Hilliard said.—
Andrew Jones,
NPR,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But Crenshaw’s own essay, on the hip-hop group 2 Live Crew, stopped short of calling for censorship.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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Yet the eye-rolling has stopped.—
Natalie Sum Yue Chung,
Fortune,
3 May 2026
Verb
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This was controversial to the public, though, with many feeling that Pluto had been demoted in a dishonorable sense, unjustly kicked out of the club of astronomical objects that people actually care about.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
29 Apr. 2026
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Pavel Dorofeyev, Vegas’ leading scorer in the regular season, has yet to record a point in the series and was demoted down the lineup by Tortorella on Friday.—
Jesse Granger,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The researchers then deciphered certain traits that were linked to the habit.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
8 Apr. 2026
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Kinsella was excited for Yates’ voice to be an easter egg—one of many voices to be deciphered by fans among a scream-singing chorus.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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While Brighton paused momentarily, anticipating a whistle, Murphy got back to his feet and crossed for Osula to head unchallenged into a free net.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
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At the request of drugmakers, Justice Samuel Alito paused until May 11 the restrictive ruling by a lower court while the full court decides what the rules for mifepristone should be as Louisiana challenges expanded access.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Broken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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