broke 1 of 2

broke

2 of 2

verb

past tense 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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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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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 died
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 surfaced
to penetrate the surface (as of water) from below dolphins were breaking all around the boat

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Examples 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 broke
Adjective
The bullet went through his neck and fractured his spine, broke ribs, and left him with a concussion. Chelsea Bailey, CNN, 2 Nov. 2024 The Pogues are broke, homeless, and once again being chased by killers, so sounds like the perfect time to put all their focus into yet another treasure hunt. Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 3 Nov. 2024
Verb
On the same day the Underwood-to-Michigan news broke, the trend of Deion Sanders landing a big-time commit before National Signing Day continued. Erik Buchinger, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2024 In 1953 the Jaguar C-Type dominated Le Mans 24 hours and broke the 100mph average for the first time. Mark Littler, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for broke 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broke
Adjective
  • In Delhi, impoverished kids are learning to love reading and math, thanks to a police officer’s makeshift school.
    Shefali Rafiq, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Dec. 2024
  • Assad’s fall ends more than six decades of Baath Party rule that sought to center Syria as a leader in the Arab world, but instead left it corruption-riddled and impoverished.
    Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • The war in Ukraine has disrupted the flow of grain to Africa, and Houthi attacks on commercial shipping are causing supply chain problems in Europe and across Asia and the Americas.
    Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
  • But 2023 disrupted this pattern.
    Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • What to know The six-day manhunt ended Monday when Mangione was apprehended in Altoona, Pennsylvania after a McDonald's employee recognized him and alerted police.
    Sam Woodward, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2024
  • When World War II ended and the horrors of the Holocaust began to emerge, the focus was on the human cost, and seeking justice, retribution and answers for the survivors and bereaved families.
    Lianne Kolirin, CNN, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Across all three cities, formerly two-star restaurants were demoted to one star.
    Tori Latham, Robb Report, 10 Dec. 2024
  • After the warning, Facebook demoted a New York Post news article about Hunter Biden's business entanglements.
    Nicole Russell, USA TODAY, 6 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • The state judge ruled the merger violated state consumer protection law and the federal case blocked the merger nationwide.
    Brittney Melton, NPR, 11 Dec. 2024
  • The organization represented Parents Protecting Our Children, a group that argued that the district violated parents’ religious freedom in not telling them about children’s trans identity.
    Mathew Rodriguez, Them, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • The mystery was solved when Concord De La Salle football coach Justin Alumbaugh reached me and apologized that his 2-year-old daughter, Isabel, had gotten ahold of his phone.
    Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2024
  • Harnessing the power of particle physics, Willow solved a problem in under five minutes that would take the world's fastest classical supercomputer an unimaginable 10 septillion years—that's a 1 followed by 25 zeros.
    Tom Howarth, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Michael Cole, best known for his role in The Mod Squad, has died.
    Esther Kang, People.com, 11 Dec. 2024
  • Five years after her father's conviction, her mother died tragically in a 2012 plane crash at the age of 43.
    Edward Segarra, USA TODAY, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Government forces retreated with unexpected alacrity.
    John Feffer, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
  • Meanwhile, Syrian rebels stormed Iran’s embassy, Reuters reported, citing Iranian English-language Press TV, and Hezbollah retreated from Syria, two Lebanese security sources told Reuters.
    Sara Dorn, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Broke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broke. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

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