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
Mikael Wood,
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2026
At the track’s apex Korten explodes in and out of dissonant broken chords against Mark Shim’s angular saxophone lines, an unexpected development that sneaks up on you thanks to Sorey’s sticky, slowly evolving drumming.
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Rae-Aila Crumble,
Pitchfork,
25 June 2026
The Editors,
Robb Report,
27 June 2026
If that expectation is broken even once, the sense of exclusivity starts to erode.
—
Gideon Kimbrell,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for broken
Adjective
Other than that and a broken leg, great.
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Mikael Wood,
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2026
At the track’s apex Korten explodes in and out of dissonant broken chords against Mark Shim’s angular saxophone lines, an unexpected development that sneaks up on you thanks to Sorey’s sticky, slowly evolving drumming.
—
Rae-Aila Crumble,
Pitchfork,
25 June 2026
Verb
To him, that equation is broken.
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The Editors,
Robb Report,
27 June 2026
If that expectation is broken even once, the sense of exclusivity starts to erode.
—
Gideon Kimbrell,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for broken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broken
Adjective
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Many critics worry that Iran will quickly seek to rebuild its shattered military, replenish its drone and missile programs and revive the threat of its proxy network that includes Hezbollah and the Houthis in Yemen.
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The character is underwritten but Jolie picks up much of the slack through her silently shattered expression.
Adjective
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Across Washington and Oregon, jagged walls of blackberry brambles choke out nearly every hiking trail, highway shoulder, and vacant lot in the region.
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Why does Orange County have so many families living on the jagged edges of the local economy?
Adjective
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If visible pores or uneven texture is a concern for you at all, this primer is the ultimate solution.
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As with that earlier boom-and-bust cycle, the AI landscape is likely to yield uneven outcomes, according to Qian Wang, global head of capital market research at Vanguard, and senior global economist Kevin Khang.
Verb
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Meanwhile, its medium-range drones have also disrupted Russia’s supply lines to the front, and its long-range strikes have increasingly damaged Russian oil facilities that provide vital revenue for the Kremlin’s war effort.
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Record heat has disrupted schools and transportation networks and forced some tourist attractions, including the Eiffel Tower, to close.
Verb
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Its domestic league stopped playing.
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Big Oil is not backing away from renewables because the energy transition has stopped.
Verb
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The man who chaired the Chicago Housing Authority board until Mayor Brandon Johnson demoted him announced on Thursday his campaign for Johnson’s seat.
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Crowley, who was demoted to another position, filed a lawsuit against the city, saying the mayor engaged in a retaliation campaign.
Verb
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Its successor script, Linea B, was also a mystery until it was deciphered in 1952 by an amateur linguist and cryptographer Michael Ventris with the help of classicist John Chadwick, both building on patterns in the script first identified by classicist Alice Kober.
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The signature was deciphered with the help of AI, and specialists at auction house Lyon & Turnbull were able to confirm that Cadell was the artist.
Verb
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Traders remained in a buoyant mood after news that the two sides had paused their conflict, which had sent energy costs soaring and stoked inflation.
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The Scots did create some mischief, however, as play was briefly paused when a beach ball landed in right field.
Cite this Entry
“Broken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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