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
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Recent Examples of broken
Cal Matters, Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2026
Still, the narrative dominating trading desks was less about long‑term strategy and more about broken expectations.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 Jan. 2026
Emily St. Martin, Oc Register, 31 Jan. 2026
Everyone knows rules are broken.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for broken
Adjective
This could be a sign of a broken transfer system that might be remedied if more colleges could offer bachelor’s degrees.
—Cal Matters, Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2026
Still, the narrative dominating trading desks was less about long‑term strategy and more about broken expectations.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
My heart is broken for her family, her loved ones, and everyone who adored her, both here in Canada and around the world.
—Emily St. Martin, Oc Register, 31 Jan. 2026
Everyone knows rules are broken.
—Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for broken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broken
Adjective
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The condition can also arise if an object goes through the brain tissue, such as a bullet or shattered piece of skull.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
27 Jan. 2026
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In his apology, Ye claimed that a 2002 car accident that left him with a shattered jaw contributed to his struggle with bipolar I disorder, with which he was officially diagnosed in 2016 and shared with the public in 2018.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Similarly, George Crumb’s 1970 Black Angels, composed in response to the Vietnam War, includes jagged marks that approximate the sound of helicopters.—
Olivia Giovetti,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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Giles Deacon blue and green jagged stripe) as a base option.—
Stephanie Sporn,
Vogue,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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While Beijing has rolled out trade-in subsidies to spur sales of cars and appliances, the rebound in spending has been uneven.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
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More clients mean uneven cash timing.—
Melissa Houston,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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American said Monday that five of its nine hub airports were disrupted by the storm, including its largest hub at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.—
Laya Neelakandan,Leslie Josephs,
CNBC,
27 Jan. 2026
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If your travel is or was disrupted, here’s what airlines owe you for the inconvenience.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Department of Justice also stopped investigating the agent, Jonathan Ross, and federal authorities blocked state investigators from participating in the probe.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
2 Feb. 2026
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After Pretti kicked out the taillight, the vehicle stopped, and a federal officer exited before grabbing Pretti and tackling him to the ground.—
Hailey Bullis,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Border Patrol commander-at-large Gregory Bovino - who led confrontational sweeps in Los Angeles, Chicago and other cities - was demoted and will soon retire, Reuters reported.—
Kristina Cooke,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
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Wow, Huckleberry demoted to Fuckleberry.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
29 Jan. 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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But the judge’s order to reinstate Damsky was paused pending appeal.—
Conor Friedersdorf,
The Atlantic,
26 Jan. 2026
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The disaster shook public confidence, led to speed reductions and temporarily paused construction on new lines, but no major incidents have been reported in the 15 years since, even as the network has continued to expand.—
Ben Jones,
CNN Money,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Broken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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