broke 1 of 2

broke

2 of 2

verb

past tense of break
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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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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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as in died
to stop functioning after working for 30 years, the pump simply broke one day

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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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as in surfaced
to penetrate the surface (as of water) from below dolphins were breaking all around the boat

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of broke
Adjective
Builders need to have a full package of design documents before ground is broke. Brynn Cooksey, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025 If it’s not broke, don’t fix it As one social media user said, bullying works. Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
Less than 24 hours after news broke of Nina Dobrev and Shaun White’s breakup, fans are speculating that The Vampire Diaries star secretly hinted at her ex cheating on her. Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 12 Sep. 2025 Here is the play on which Packers WR Jayden Reed broke his collarbone. Trevor Squire, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for broke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broke
Adjective
  • The walk is presided over by its creator, a mysterious authoritarian figure known as the Major (Mark Hamill) who extolls the sadistic contest as a boon for the spirits of the impoverished American people.
    Megan McCluskey, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Probably the one that’s best known is the one about how Philomelus, a young, impoverished farmer and herdsman, struggled to push his plow through his fields.
    Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 7 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • And while those enforcement actions have not yet translated into criminal cases or fines against the employers, the raids themselves in some cases significantly disrupted business operations.
    Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Muscle cramps and playing surfaces As muscles fatigue, the normal balance between signals in the nervous system that direct muscles to contract and relax become disrupted.
    Michael Hales, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Once the inning ended a few minutes later, New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza met Manaea in the dugout and led him down the tunnel.
    Will Sammon, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Hearing for ethics complaint investigation findings delayed The Wausau Ethics Board ended its own investigation into the incident in July.
    Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Jerome Ford is not a feature back and should be demoted once Judkins proves capable at pass protection and blitz pickups after missing all of training camp.
    Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Many coup backers are simply demoted or purged from the government without facing trial or execution.
    Joe Wright, The Conversation, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In total, 16 metrics were deciphered to rank each state under these dimensions, such as shares of children, teens and adults with different vaccinations, people without health insurance, and many others.
    Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Those sent on the trip filmed and recorded their upcoming opponents' signs, which Stalions then deciphered.
    Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The high court's order paused Ali's ruling that the $4 billion be spent before the end of the month.
    Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Poland also paused operations at four airports, including its main hub in Warsaw.
    Joanna Kakissis, NPR, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • And the defense got plowed around for 394 yards and couldn’t get the ball back when the Chiefs would have had a late chance to rally.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Coach Matt Rhule’s third team adopted a more mature approach, evidenced against Akron as Nebraska plowed through an opportunity to lose its intensity while playing with a big lead in the second half.
    Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Wake County schools violated policy when staff did not address the effects of bullying on Danielle, said an April 2024 letter from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
    Fred Clasen-Kelly, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Argentina and other countries under Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) also have protections that may be violated by tariffs, Comprés said.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Broke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broke. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.

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