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
Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 10 Apr. 2026
Rugged, confident Ben is manhood incarnate to Willy, who, in his saddest refrain, clings to the threadbare promise of personality like a bit of broken mast in a storm.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
Deasia Paige, AJC.com, 10 Apr. 2026
The Venice Biennale said in March that no sanctions had been broken.
—Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for broken
Adjective
But our broken campaign finance system and revolving door political culture have undermined the very trust in public-private collaboration that is essential for a successful AI transition.
—Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 10 Apr. 2026
Rugged, confident Ben is manhood incarnate to Willy, who, in his saddest refrain, clings to the threadbare promise of personality like a bit of broken mast in a storm.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
Atlanta rapper Gucci Mane appears to have broken his silence on a federal kidnapping case involving him and his label.
—Deasia Paige, AJC.com, 10 Apr. 2026
The Venice Biennale said in March that no sanctions had been broken.
—Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for broken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broken
Adjective
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Tents rippled in the breeze, and children played on the sand against a backdrop of shattered buildings.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
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In two separate incidents last month, delivery robots crashed into CTA bus shelters in Old Town and West Town, leaving shattered glass behind.—
Laura Washington,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Glover, for instance, was particularly captivated by the jagged topography along the moon’s terminator, the dividing line between its illuminated side and the side cloaked in darkness.—
Denise Chow,
NBC news,
7 Apr. 2026
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Outside the window were snippets of jagged peaks.—
Elizabeth Cantrell,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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As an over-the-counter retinoid, retinol helps accelerate skin cell turnover, which can visibly improve uneven texture, fine lines, and discoloration over time.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Apr. 2026
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But the improvements were short-lived as rates rose significantly in March, driven by a series of uneven economic reports and a spike in geopolitical tensions and overseas conflicts.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Richardson said that the loss of grizzlies disrupted the state’s ecosystems and eliminated an animal that was so synonymous with California that its image remains on the state flag, on water bottles and in the names of its university teams.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
8 Apr. 2026
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The vaccination campaign for measles was disrupted during Bangladesh's recent political upheavals.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The bands stopped precisely at the midline of her body, and the pigmentation of her right side was entirely normal.—
Jerome Groopman,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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My parents took me on my first flight at three months old and never stopped, raising me in a world that stretched far beyond home.—
Shayla Martin,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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They aren’t being demoted or deprioritized.—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
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The mayor has since demoted Brewer from board chair and seeks to remove him as operating chairman as well, but the soonest Johnson can wield the supermajority likely required to fire Pettigrew for cause would be this summer.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
7 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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Ben Steinberg, a 26-year-old film student who has led the grassroots Save the Cinerama Dome campaign to reopen the theater, has paused his activities.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
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Defendants who are found to be mentally incompetent cannot be tried for crimes — rather, their criminal prosecutions are paused while defendants go through treatment aimed at restoring them to competency.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Broken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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