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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Recent Examples of broke
Adjective
He’s gone through several record deals, lost a bandmate, gone broke, played shows with five-figure attendances, and met his heroes.—Sam Davies, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2026 The government is essentially broke.—David Remnick, New Yorker, 23 Mar. 2026
Verb
The actress broke her silence after a judge dismissed key claims in her case.—ABC News, 4 Apr. 2026 Wave win their fourth straight Ludmila broke the deadlock with the Legacy in the 62nd minute at Gillette Stadium, giving the Wave (4-1-0) their best start in club history.—Phuoc Nguyen, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for broke
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
The vaccination campaign for measles was disrupted during Bangladesh's recent political upheavals.
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, scientists identified the virus, deciphered its secrets, concocted a vaccine, put it into production, and rendered the disease manageable – all within a year.
—
David Blumenthal,
Fortune,
24 Mar. 2026
Researchers using advanced imaging technology have deciphered 79 previously invisible inscriptions — including love notes, drawings of gladiators, and everyday messages — on a wall in the ancient city of Pompeii, offering a rare window into the lives of ordinary people nearly 2,000 years ago.
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
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.
At least 15 people were injured after a driver plowed a car into a crowd during a parade in Louisiana on Saturday, April 4, according to authorities and multiple reports.
—
Jonathan Limehouse,
USA Today,
5 Apr. 2026
The suspect plowed his truck into Temple Israel synagogue on March 12.