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
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of broken
Rudie Obias, HollywoodReporter, 13 Mar. 2026
But he has been hampered by injuries the past two seasons, missing three games in 2024 and nine last season because of a hamstring injury and broken collarbone.
—ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 13 Mar. 2026
Alcaraz was broken twice by Norrie, but broke back four times.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for broken
Adjective
To grieve and recover from their broken family, the Clyburns move from Manhattan in New York City to the Madison River Valley in Montana to reconnect with each other and the land.
—Rudie Obias, HollywoodReporter, 13 Mar. 2026
But he has been hampered by injuries the past two seasons, missing three games in 2024 and nine last season because of a hamstring injury and broken collarbone.
—ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026
Verb
OsamaSon gets it on psykotic when the album opens with 808s that feel like your car speakers are broken.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 13 Mar. 2026
Alcaraz was broken twice by Norrie, but broke back four times.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for broken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broken
Adjective
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Investigators also allegedly found broken glass scattered through the home, a shattered microwave, and bleach wipes and spray bottles.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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And then fraud, which, looking back, was inevitable given our shattered and incompetent leadership.—
Joe Soucheray,
Twin Cities,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Its vast salt flats, jagged canyons, and sweeping sand dunes seem merely designed to test human endurance.—
Jessica Chapel,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Mar. 2026
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From Buffalo Grove, the district goes northwest on a jagged path through Mundelein, Fox Lake and into McHenry County.—
Steve Sadin,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The National Park Service sees planting as insurance against the uneven distribution and high mortality of the naturally sprouting trees.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
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Davis’ successor, Steve Alford, failed to replicate the success of Davis’ goodbye season during his uneven eight-year run in Iowa City.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The conflict has disrupted energy production in the Middle East and led to a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route.—
Chloe Taylor,Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2026
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The conflict has also disrupted airspace across parts of the Middle East, forcing airlines to reroute flights, particularly between Europe and Asia, along longer routes that burn more fuel and keep aircraft in the air for longer.—
Scott Campbell,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The threat of Iranian missile and drone attacks has all but stopped tankers carrying oil and gas from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Iran from traveling through the strait, which is bordered in the north by Iran.—
Alex Veiga,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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However, access stopped after airstrikes hit Iran’s major nuclear facilities at Fordow and Natanz.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Or, rather, demoted her to United States Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas, whatever that is.—
Clarence Page,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
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He was demoted from sergeant and suspended for six days.—
Ashley Luthern,
jsonline.com,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Mar. 2026
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Using this method, researchers deciphered 79 additional inscriptions that had eluded scholars for generations.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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After months of escalating community concern, the plan was temporarily paused in January.—
Patrick Sisson,
Scientific American,
9 Mar. 2026
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Having recently passed previous Heat captain Udonis Haslem for the franchise record for defensive rebounds, Adebayo paused to also take stock of reaching 10,000 points.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Broken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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