Synonyms of broke
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as in poor 
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as in disrupted
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as in ended
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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 died
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as in retreated
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as in wore
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as in circulated
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as in ruined
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as in began
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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 surfaced
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Example Sentences
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Entries Near
as in poor
lacking money or material possessions
too broke to afford even a used car
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 ended
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 died
to stop functioning
after working for 30 years, the pump simply broke one day
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11
as in retreated
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 wore
to use up all the physical energy of
the trek up the mountain just about broke me
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13
as in circulated
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 began
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of broke
Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
The series is bolstered by bloody good action and a fun infusion of absurdist humor, but Campbell's go-for-broke performance is the real highlight.
—Sammi Burke, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Feb. 2026
Lara Walsh, InStyle, 21 Feb. 2026
Caleb Flynn initially called 911 and told a dispatcher that someone broke into his house and killed his wife, according to audio obtained by Fox News Digital.
—Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for broke
Adjective
By the end of the year, Alfred Tennyson, lately miserable, misanthropic, semi-broke, and semi-feral, had been made the Poet Laureate of England.
—Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
The series is bolstered by bloody good action and a fun infusion of absurdist humor, but Campbell's go-for-broke performance is the real highlight.
—Sammi Burke, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Feb. 2026
Verb
Eric Dane's Grey's Anatomy co-star Kate Walsh broke her silence with a heartbreaking tribute following news of the actor's death on Friday.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 21 Feb. 2026
Caleb Flynn initially called 911 and told a dispatcher that someone broke into his house and killed his wife, according to audio obtained by Fox News Digital.
—Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for broke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broke
Adjective
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Policymakers globally are increasingly worried that the unequal adoption of AI risks widening income and development gaps between rich and poor countries.—
Hanna Ziady,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
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In November, Jesse Jackon was hospitalized again after suffering a fall while protesting poor campus living conditions with students at Howard University.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Economic and religious activities disrupted by DHS Muslims in Minneapolis, estimated now to be more than 100,000, have lived in the city for well over a century, and the city has embraced them.—
Yahya Salem,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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When breathing stops or becomes shallow, sleep is disrupted and the body may experience drops in oxygen.—
Sarah Jividen,
Verywell Health,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As soon as our interview ended, the seven idols disappeared to change outfits for an evening rehearsal, and returned minutes later, slurping down steaming cups of ramyeon.—
Rebecca Cairns,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
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His night ended amid a storm of laughing students and obscene gestures.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Gingles had been nearly demoted at his job, the co-worker said, due to taking too much time off because of his pending divorce.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
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Bovino was demoted last month, two days after federal agents shot and killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Jan 24.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 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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The university told the student her appeal would be paused until the federal education agency completed its review, the lawsuit said.—
Nick Lentz,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2026
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An appeals court paused the order but instructed the hospital to allow Bowden to apply for privileges.—
Evan MacDonald,
Houston Chronicle,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Crews have recently had to make repairs on major roads, including ones that see heavy traffic or that Louisville’s Snow Team frequently plowed.—
Caroline Neal,
Louisville Courier Journal,
12 Feb. 2026
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Use extra caution while driving, as cold temperatures and wind can create icy road conditions, and snow plowed to the roadway edges may reduce sight lines at intersection.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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UMass Amherst likely violated a student’s First Amendment rights when the campus suspended the pro-Palestine protester for a year, a judge has ruled.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
16 Feb. 2026
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As a result, the plaintiffs argued, the administration also violated the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 by failing to consider the harmful environmental impacts of the project.—
Safiyah Riddle,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Broke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broke. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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