broke 1 of 2

Definition of brokenext

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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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 broke
Adjective
Different campaigns try different things, but different campaigns are broke. Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 5 June 2026 And as for the financial motive that Kouri was broke? Natalie Morales, CBS News, 24 May 2026
Verb
Nothing shattered, nothing broke, in video of the testing provided to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution by MARTA. Sara Gregory, AJC.com, 13 June 2026 Roosevelt broke major party tradition by flying nine hours from Albany to personally deliver his acceptance speech from the Congress Plaza Hotel, which was carried live at Chicago Stadium on WGN-AM. Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for broke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broke
Adjective
  • The second didn’t go nearly as well for Bussi as Karlsson and Howden scored on two of the Golden Knights’ six shots in the period to tie the score at 3-3 heading into the third, the tying goal coming off a Seth Jarvis turnover and a couple of poor defensive plays by Sean Walker and K’Andre Miller.
    Michael Russo, New York Times, 10 June 2026
  • Heat radiates from the pages of this extraordinary novel about a poor family in rural Mississippi in the days leading up to Hurricane Katrina.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 June 2026
Verb
  • Major ash-producing eruptions have repeatedly disrupted life across the region and can affect areas far beyond the immediate danger zone.
    Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 9 June 2026
  • The department said current emergency notification systems rely on cellular devices, radio signals, electrical connectivity and power, all of which can be disrupted by heavy smoke, power outages or damage to communication infrastructure during an emergency.
    Reeti Malhotra, Sacbee.com, 9 June 2026
Verb
  • Zach Neto was hit by a pitch and Mike Trout ended an 0-for-22 slump with a single to load the bases.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
  • If the season ended Tuesday, Chicago would have the second AL wild-card spot.
    Johnny Flores Jr, New York Times, 10 June 2026
Verb
  • In Monaco, Hulk finished 10th after the Great Reshuffle due to pit-lane-speeding penalties for other drivers, but was later demoted to 13th after being given a time penalty for causing a collision.
    Jerry Perez, The Drive, 11 June 2026
  • Paula Conaway alleged she was harassed and ultimately demoted from her position as deputy chief for insisting on accountability for officers under her command.
    Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 June 2026
Verb
  • What’s more, the back of the painting shows a number code which was deciphered in the project to reveal the year of production—1934.
    Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 11 June 2026
  • And yet… Four risqué jokes that Anne had hidden by covering them with brown paper were deciphered by researchers in 2018.
    Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 June 2026
Verb
  • Komargodski paused our conversation to ask ChatGPT, providing the relevant numbers, and then checked its work.
    Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 15 June 2026
  • With nine seconds remaining on the pitch clock, Jaschinski paused the game as Caballero stood in the batter’s box.
    Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 15 June 2026
Verb
  • Democrat Tom Steyer plowed a record $215 million of his own money in the race to become California’s next governor and came up short.
    Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 10 June 2026
  • The community is in shock after a driver plowed his car into some businesses in the Castro District early Sunday morning.
    Sooji Nam, CBS News, 1 June 2026
Verb
  • The judge argued that the panel violated the Constitution by effectively removing her from office despite life tenure protections and denied her due process.
    Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 15 June 2026
  • The Big 12 stresses that punishment of a school does not require the conference to determine if a student-athlete violated a rule, only that the athlete’s school is damaging.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 15 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Broke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broke. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.

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