Synonyms of broke

broke 1 of 2

adjective

as in poor

lacking money or material possessions

too broke to afford even a used car

Synonyms & Similar Words

• poor
• impoverished
• bankrupt
• beggared
• deprived
• bankrupted
• penniless
• destitute
• depressed
• pauperized
• needful
• famished
• out of pocket
• out at elbows
• needy
• skint
• dirt-poor
• beggarly
• impecunious
• hard up
• threadbare
• indigent
• penurious
• down-and-out
• ruined
• poverty-stricken
• necessitous
• pinched
• down on one's luck
• distressed
• bust
• disadvantaged
• dispossessed
• reduced
• unaffluent
• short
• insolvent
• possessionless
• underprivileged
• straitened
• tapped out
• low
• poorish
• hardscrabble
• cash-strapped
• hand-to-mouth

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rich
• wealthy
• flush
• moneyed
• affluent
• fat
• well-to-do
• opulent
• comfortable
• well-off
• prosperous
• silk-stocking
• fat-cat
• well-heeled
• deep-pocketed

broke

2 of 2

verb

past tense of break

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• disrupted
• fractured
• shattered
• disintegrated
• destroyed
• fragmented
• ruined
• busted
• smashed
• reduced
• split
• ground
• wrecked
• dismembered
• blasted
• broke up
• exploded
• crushed
• rived
• cracked
• popped
• pulverized
• burst
• chipped
• detonated
• powdered
• shivered
• splintered
• blew up
• atomized
• imploded
• slivered

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fixed
• repaired
• rebuilt
• healed
• reconstructed
• patched
• mended
• renovated
• reconditioned
• doctored

2

as in ended

to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end

the final vote broke the deadlock

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ended
• stopped
• ceased
• halted
• quit
• dropped
• suspended
• concluded
• delayed
• laid off
• finished
• broke off
• cut off
• shut off
• discontinued
• left off
• cut out
• packed (up or in)
• broke up
• knocked off
• had done with
• canned
• completed
• desisted (from)
• gave over
• ruined
• put the kibosh on
• paused
• blocked
• stayed
• closed (down)
• checked
• held
• stemmed
• hindered
• destroyed
• impeded
• scuttled
• obstructed
• deactivated
• arrested
• stamped
• held back
• dammed
• detained
• turned back
• squashed
• blockaded
• called
• suppressed
• squelched
• killed
• stunted
• dissolved
• abolished
• demolished
• aborted
• snuffed
• braked
• clamped down
• annulled
• reined (in)
• kiboshed
• stanched

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• continued
• carried on
• proceeded
• kept up
• progressed
• advanced
• ran on
• drove
• stirred
• propelled
• followed through (with)
• actuated
• impelled

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• demoted
• reduced
• downgraded
• busted
• dismissed
• degraded
• sacked
• laid off
• disrated
• fired
• downsized
• canned
• humiliated
• cashiered
• humbled
• debased
• lowered
• demeaned
• abased

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• raised
• advanced
• promoted
• elevated
• hired

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• deciphered
• cracked
• solved
• translated
• decoded
• decrypted
• rendered
• unraveled
• figured out
• worked
• worked out
• doped (out)
• descrambled
• puzzled (out)
• unscrambled
• unriddled

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• coded
• encoded
• encrypted
• mixed (up)
• ciphered
• garbled
• enciphered
• jumbled (up)

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• paused
• hesitated
• interrupted
• stopped
• ended
• caught one's breath
• held one's horses
• finished
• ceased
• broke in
• laid off
• terminated
• discontinued
• lapsed
• knocked off
• quit
• let up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• continued
• persisted
• advanced
• extended
• stretched
• prolonged
• progressed

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• plowed
• raked
• furrowed
• tilled
• cultivated
• fallowed
• hoed
• harrowed
• listed
• rototilled

7

as in violated

to fail to keep

had to confess that he had broken his promise not to share their conversation with anyone

Synonyms & Similar Words

• violated
• breached
• fractured
• contravened
• transgressed
• offended
• infringed (on or upon)
• ignored
• disobeyed
• traduced
• rebelled
• flouted
• disregarded
• resisted
• neglected
• passed over
• dismissed
• brushed (off)
• blew off
• winked (at)
• tuned out
• withstood
• defied
• scorned
• shrugged off
• slighted
• overlooked
• pooh-poohed
• overpassed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• followed
• observed
• served
• complied (with)
• submitted (to)
• obeyed
• heard
• yielded (to)
• noted
• marked
• noticed
• conformed (to)
• watched
• regarded
• attended
• minded
• surrendered (to)
• listened (to)
• deferred (to)
• heeded

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• solved
• unraveled
• answered
• resolved
• cracked
• figured out
• worked
• worked out
• doped (out)
• riddled (out)
• puzzled (out)
• deciphered
• concluded
• decided
• deduced
• unriddled
• reasoned
• untied
• inferred
• gathered
• straightened (out)
• judged
• ironed out
• guessed
• cleared (up)
• presumed
• speculated
• assumed
• divined
• conjectured
• untangled
• decoded
• unscrambled

9

as in damaged

to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of

I broke a tooth on the hard candy

Synonyms & Similar Words

• damaged
• marred
• injured
• crippled
• hurt
• compromised
• weakened
• eroded
• impaired
• harmed
• destroyed
• flawed
• crossed (up)
• spoiled
• bloodied
• undermined
• disfigured
• shattered
• ruined
• defaced
• blemished
• crabbed
• deteriorated
• vitiated
• wounded
• battered
• endamaged
• wore (away)
• wrecked
• scoured
• smashed
• tarnished
• dented
• enfeebled
• demolished
• enervated
• blighted
• washed out
• tortured
• lacerated
• devastated
• botched
• mangled
• hamstrung
• tormented
• wiped out
• disabled
• decimated
• mutilated
• dinged
• lamed
• clobbered
• totaled
• pulverized
• dinted
• razed
• maimed
• crushed
• bashed
• wasted
• annihilated
• gummed (up)
• tore down
• dashed
• scourged
• desolated
• queered
• banged up
• did in

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fixed
• repaired
• rebuilt
• reconstructed
• patched
• helped
• mended
• renovated
• healed
• cured
• revamped
• reconditioned
• doctored
• remedied
• rectified
• revised
• rehabilitated
• improved
• remodeled
• edited
• enhanced
• enriched
• perfected
• refined
• bettered
• ameliorated
• meliorated

10

as in died

to stop functioning

after working for 30 years, the pump simply broke one day

Synonyms & Similar Words

• died
• crashed
• failed
• stalled
• cut out
• gave out
• broke down
• sputtered
• wheezed
• conked (out)
• fizzled
• jammed
• malfunctioned
• acted up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• started (up)

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• retreated
• fled
• flew
• bolted
• ran
• escaped
• skedaddled
• ran off
• ran away
• beat it
• beat a retreat
• turned tail
• hightailed (it)
• bugged out
• made tracks
• got (away)
• lit
• got out
• eloped
• decamped
• absconded
• made off
• scrammed
• skipped (out)
• cleared out
• lammed
• scarpered
• mizzled
• scatted
• skirred

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• confronted
• faced
• dared
• defied
• remained
• braved
• bearded
• stayed
• lingered
• hung around
• dwelled
• tarried
• abided
• stuck around

12

as in wore

to use up all the physical energy of

the trek up the mountain just about broke me

Synonyms & Similar Words

• wore
• tired
• exhausted
• killed
• drained
• busted
• burned out
• harassed
• knocked out
• wearied
• fatigued
• wore out
• tuckered (out)
• washed out
• wasted
• fagged
• weakened
• frazzled
• outwore
• wore to a frazzle
• did in
• sapped
• did up
• debilitated
• enfeebled
• enervated

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• activated
• strengthened
• energized
• rested
• relaxed
• rejuvenated
• invigorated
• vitalized
• unwound

13

as in circulated

to become known

as soon as the scandal broke, the CEO fled the country

Synonyms & Similar Words

• circulated
• spread
• revealed
• got out
• leaked (out)
• came out
• unfolded
• got round
• got about
• told
• got around
• outed
• disclosed
• transpired
• developed
• spilled

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• suppressed
• hid
• concealed
• disguised
• masked
• hushed (up)
• secreted

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ruined
• bankrupted
• busted
• reduced
• impoverished
• wiped out
• cleaned (out)
• beggared
• pauperized
• straitened

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• enriched
• richened

15

as in began

to come into existence

the crisis had passed, and a new day was breaking

Synonyms & Similar Words

• began
• originated
• started
• arose
• commenced
• appeared
• was
• emerged
• sprang
• set in
• formed
• arrived
• dawned
• existed
• engendered
• lived
• materialized
• breathed
• actualized
• lasted
• continued
• subsisted
• survived
• persisted
• came on
• shaped (up)
• endured
• coalesced
• cohered

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ended
• stopped
• ceased
• finished
• concluded
• terminated
• halted
• disappeared
• quit
• died
• discontinued
• dissolved
• vanished
• evaporated
• departed
• expired
• desisted
• perished
• passed away

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• veered
• bowed
• cut
• circled
• turned
• wandered
• curved
• swerved
• sheered
• swept
• yawed
• arched
• curled
• bent
• zagged
• zigged
• pivoted
• crooked
• rounded
• twisted
• skewed
• hooked
• arced
• spiraled
• weaved
• slewed
• looped
• wound
• coiled
• strayed
• wheeled
• zigzagged
• deviated
• wavered
• about-faced

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• straightened

17

as in reduced

to diminish the price or value of

distressing economic news that will break many energy stocks

Synonyms & Similar Words

• reduced
• lowered
• sank
• depressed
• devalued
• shrank
• downgraded
• devaluated
• attenuated
• wrote down
• marked down
• depreciated
• wrote off
• cheapened
• debased
• demonetized
• underestimated
• compressed
• dwindled
• undervalued
• contracted
• underrated
• downsized
• moderated
• lessened
• deflated
• underpriced
• abridged
• de-escalated

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• upgraded
• enhanced
• appreciated
• marked up
• inflated
• blew up
• added
• increased
• extended
• raised
• swelled
• expanded
• overestimated
• bloated
• augmented
• compounded
• escalated
• overrated
• multiplied
• enlarged
• boosted
• overpriced
• overvalued
• heightened
• dilated
• amplified
• upped
• maximized
• ballooned
• aggrandized

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

• exceeded
• surpassed
• outran
• transcended
• overshot
• overstepped
• invaded
• overreached
• overran
• entrenched
• outreached
• trespassed
• encroached
• infringed
• overpassed
• overdid
• overworked
• overused
• overutilized

19

as in surfaced

to penetrate the surface (as of water) from below

dolphins were breaking all around the boat

Synonyms & Similar Words

• surfaced
• emerged
• broached
• rose

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• dropped
• plunged
• sank
• drowned
• submerged
• dived
• foundered
• submersed

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of broke

Adjective

Rachel and Monica’s West Village sublet gave way to Hannah and Marnie’s Greenpoint apartment—an address that might be considered laughably unattainable by the broke twentysomethings of today. — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026

That was about four months after Buc-ee's broke ground near Dayton. — ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026

Verb

Fifita broke onto the scene in 2023 as a redshirt freshman, and he was voted Pac-12 Freshman of the Year after throwing for 2,869 yards, 25 touchdowns and six interceptions. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Nov. 2026

Months after news broke of their split, Foxx and Huckstepp reconciled. — Giovana Gelhoren, InStyle, 4 Nov. 2026