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 fractured
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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 spread
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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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Relevance
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in fractured
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 spread
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
CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
The private luncheon brought together leaders who’ve built empires, broken ceilings, and redefined what success looks like on their own terms.
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 13 Oct. 2025
Harlan Selesnick, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2025
Our school funding system is broken.
—Grace Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for broken
Adjective
Investigators recovered two broken glass beer bottles containing gasoline.
—CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
The private luncheon brought together leaders who’ve built empires, broken ceilings, and redefined what success looks like on their own terms.
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
The urgent care physician assistant took X-rays and nothing was broken.
—Harlan Selesnick, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2025
Our school funding system is broken.
—Grace Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for broken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broken
Adjective
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This is unlike the beautiful sadness in Anderson’s films, which is entirely full (often to bursting) with humans and their shattered interiors.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Oct. 2025
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Some automakers have started laminating side windows to prevent shattered glass during a crash.—
Natalie Davies,
Freep.com,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The Maah Daah Hey Trail runs for 144 miles, offering some of the best exposure to what’s left of the country’s majestic grasslands, plus surprisingly jagged peaks, rugged plateaus, and ample river crossings.—
Jacqueline Kehoe,
AFAR Media,
15 Oct. 2025
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Its alpine-style streets, surrounded by jagged peaks, are lined with breweries and boutique shops.—
Chantelle Kincy,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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After Florida State and Clemson fought for an uneven share of ACC revenue, a Georgia Tech versus Virginia championship game just feels right.—
Stewart Mandel,
New York Times,
19 Oct. 2025
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Southern live oaks draped in Spanish moss that tower and twist over city squares, Neoclassical Antebellum architecture, gas lamps that flicker over uneven cobblestone paths, and a humid subtropical climate that hangs heavy in the air.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed after the game that Warner had fractured and dislocated his right ankle and will need surgery, likely ending his season.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
13 Oct. 2025
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Swift may well be more important today than Adele was a decade ago—but the comparison is apples to oranges because the cultural mainstream has fractured so dramatically since then.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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On Sunday, Jeanty was stopped for a loss or no gain on four of his 10 runs against light boxes, and overall, the Las Vegas Raiders were stuffed 11 times on 29 attempts — the most of any team in a game this season.—
Vic Tafur,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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This was a couple who had never stopped laughing at one another’s jokes, who still held hands like teenagers into their 50s.—
Bee Wilson,
Vogue,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Lynch was demoted after making just four of his 10 attempts, missing a potential game-winning 33-yard field goal in the Spartans’ 16-14 loss to Central Michigan and two kicks from less than 30 yards in SJSU’s 30-29 loss to Stanford.—
Aaron Johnson,
Mercury News,
16 Oct. 2025
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Rank-and-file Black workers were also blocked from promotions, demoted, reassigned, or fired outright.—
Time,
Time,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Many of which have yet to be deciphered.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Sep. 2025
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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
Verb
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Sales can resume after a judge paused the Ohio governor's ban on THC gummies and beverages.—
Katie Wiseman,
IndyStar,
14 Oct. 2025
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Colbert paused for a quick beat.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Broken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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