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broken

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verb

past participle of break
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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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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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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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as in stalled
to stop functioning after working for 30 years, the pump simply broke one day

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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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as in emerged
to penetrate the surface (as of water) from below dolphins were breaking all around the boat

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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
There was an evolution of the broken suit, with softer shoulders. Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 23 June 2025 Police said she was found with severe injuries suggesting she’d been struck by a vehicle, including serious head trauma and several broken bones. Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 21 June 2025
Verb
Buffalo’s season is all but over, and the team has looked broken. Matthew Fairburn, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024 When the pot was broken, the gifts would spill out, acting as an offering to Huitzilopochtli. Monica Navarro, The Arizona Republic, 24 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for broken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broken
Adjective
  • Sandwiched between the ocean and the Oregon Coast Range, U.S. Route 101 traces the state’s entire coastline, with wide beaches and jagged sea stacks on one side of the road and thickets of evergreen forest on the other.
    Chloe Arrojado, AFAR Media, 17 June 2025
  • While icebergs and rocky shorelines dominate the Antarctic coastline that cruise ships navigate, the heart of the continent is another world, one of shimmering blue ice tunnels and crevasses, jagged mountain peaks, and vast moonscapes.
    Chloe Berge, Outside Online, 17 June 2025
Adjective
  • Additionally, although each member of the crew has their own particular skillset, the time spent on individual characters is uneven, and a smaller cast would have likely made things more effective.
    Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 25 June 2025
  • Moreover, the legal playing field itself can be quite uneven.
    Mark Berookim, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
Verb
  • When Millie Gooch stopped drinking at age 26, her friends had a hard time wrapping their heads around it.
    Malaka Gharib, NPR, 8 Jan. 2025
  • For those of us who love the series, haven’t stopped playing it since it was released in October 2023, and who own every Alter Ego, this is good news.
    Brian Mazique, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Hackett was also demoted from his play-calling duties after Saleh was fired.
    Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 10 Apr. 2025
  • When Schmidt returns to the majors next week, Will Warren will probably be demoted.
    Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The plaintiffs seek a declaratory judgment that the commission, by approving the plans, has violated their fundamental rights.
    Amy Green, Orlando Sentinel, 24 Dec. 2024
  • Months later, the Department of Justice concluded that five Texas juvenile detention centers violated children's constitutional and civil rights.
    Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY, 24 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • People only become dependent if every problem is solved for them.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
  • This under-desk walking pad solved my problem.
    Cecily McAndrews, Health, 5 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • After realizing the mother of three was awake, the intruder immediately bolted out out of the room.
    Vivian Kwarm, New York Daily News, 17 Dec. 2024
  • An overdose episode — Kiana bolted barefoot from their rural home and went missing overnight in the woods — brought police attention and led to charges for child endangerment.
    John Branch, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Mamdani held the advantage of being a media-savvy millennial who appeared singularly cognizant of the benefits of harnessing the internet to spread his message in a race where Cuomo held the power of instant name recognition.
    Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 25 June 2025
  • Formed in Los Angeles, the gang has grown into a transnational criminal organization with tens of thousands of members spread across the United States, Mexico and Central America.
    Martha McHardy Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Broken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

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