broken 1 of 2

Definition of brokennext
1
2
3

broken

2 of 2

verb

past participle of break
1
2
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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

5
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

7
8
9
10
as in stalled
to stop functioning after working for 30 years, the pump simply broke one day

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

11
12
13
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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

15
16
17
18
19
as in emerged
to penetrate the surface (as of water) from below dolphins were breaking all around the boat

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of broken
Adjective
Mullett says her injuries included a broken back, a broken left leg, a shattered pelvis and head trauma. David Chiu, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026 Eight years later, the broken family is shocked when she is returned to them, as what should be a joyful reunion turns into a living nightmare. Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
Atlanta rapper Gucci Mane appears to have broken his silence on a federal kidnapping case involving him and his label. Deasia Paige, AJC.com, 10 Apr. 2026 The Venice Biennale said in March that no sanctions had been broken. Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 10 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for broken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broken
Adjective
  • Aerial footage showed the sedan parked next to the center divider, with at least one shattered window.
    Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
  • Mullett says her injuries included a broken back, a broken left leg, a shattered pelvis and head trauma.
    David Chiu, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Victor Glover described peering at the long shadows of the lunar terminator through a telephoto lens and suddenly feeling transported down to that airless, forbidding landscape and imagining himself off-road driving among jagged peaks.
    Andrew Chaikin, Space.com, 16 Apr. 2026
  • McMau maintains a level of jagged authenticity that implies there might well be a threat around every corner for both of his characters.
    Randy Myers, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • However, boundaries have not been redrawn since the 1971 census, as successive governments delayed the process over concerns about uneven population growth.
    ABC News, ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
  • Inspired by director Daniel Blake Schwartz’s real-life experiences, this striking debut feature charts the uneven cycles of addiction and recovery among several interconnected lives in Chelsea, Massachusetts with grit and emotional clarity.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • His arrival disrupted Diawara’s rhythm but gave Brown a gritty, experienced defender for small-ball combinations.
    Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2026
  • An uneven jobs landscape and disrupted energy markets due to the war in the Middle East has made the Federal Reserve more sensitive to inflation in recent months, resulting in a pause on rate cuts.
    Tristan Bove, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The shipping disruption also largely stopped the export of nitrogen fertilizers manufactured in the Persian Gulf and limited access to key fertilizer ingredients.
    ABC News, ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
  • Eventually, Betty stopped and squatted.
    Gabriel Debenedetti, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Johnson demoted Brewer from board chair following the Pettigrew vote, but Brewer has so far rebuffed the mayor’s attempt to demote him from operating chair, and for now he’s supported by a majority of the board.
    Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
  • This lawyer, who quit after being reassigned and demoted, recalled being informed by one of Dhillon’s aides that the decision to push out career leadership had not been made by the assistant attorney general.
    Quinta Jurecic, The Atlantic, 13 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The researchers then deciphered certain traits that were linked to the habit.
    Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
  • Kinsella was excited for Yates’ voice to be an easter egg—one of many voices to be deciphered by fans among a scream-singing chorus.
    Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 8 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The fifth season of Mormon Wives has currently paused production after several members of the cast refused to work with Paul amid two ongoing domestic violence cases involving her and Mortensen, sources confirmed to PEOPLE in March.
    Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
  • In February last year, a federal lawsuit charging Sun with duping investors was paused before being settled last month for a $10-million fine.
    Bernard Condon, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Broken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on broken

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster