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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
After the fight, Sheeraz’s team said their fighter might have suffered a broken hand during the fight—which could potentially explain his decreased aggression. Brian Mazique, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025 Several cakes in a broken refrigerator measured too warm to be considered safe. Camila Pedrosa, Sacramento Bee, 21 Feb. 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
  • The image teases both the film’s narrative developments and its jagged formal approach, as the director (who shares editing duties with both co-writer Karen Plata and DP Odei Zabaleta) aims to structurally replicate the non-linear disorder and occasional blind spots of ruptured childhood memories.
    Guy Lodge, Variety, 26 Feb. 2025
  • Located on the historic Santa Barbara plantation, the jagged limestone peak is accessible at four different points with routes up to 164 feet high (50 meters), depending on your athletic ability.
    Curaçao Tourist Board, AFAR Media, 26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • Connecticut transit riders urged lawmakers to bolster funding and services for the state’s local commuter railroads on Wednesday, as ridership continues to experience an uneven rebound from the pandemic.
    John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Two different curling irons — a 1-inch and a 1.5-inch — gave the pro uneven waves for a more natural feel.
    Jackie Fields, People.com, 27 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Details matter, as the characters in Season 2 never stopped reminding us.
    Erik Kain, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
  • In the first day or so after the snow stopped falling, Unified Government crews focused on clearing major thoroughfares.
    Alecia Taylor, Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • But even if Rossi does get demoted to PP2, his even-strength time alongside an MVP-caliber winger should make up for it.
    Shayna Goldman, The Athletic, 3 Jan. 2025
  • Dillingham recalled his early days as a graduate assistant and the time then-Arizona State coach Todd Graham demoted him so former quarterback Taylor Kelly could take his position.
    Doug Haller, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
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
  • This wave of luxurious amenities is spreading across England, with Brighton & Hove Albion planning an expansion that includes a £40 million ($50. 5 million) upgrade to its stadium.
    Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 25 Feb. 2025
  • Waves would eventually have spread that resulting sediment along the shore, forming a beach that'd have been strikingly familiar to us.
    Kiona N. Smith, Space.com, 25 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Broken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken. Accessed 7 Mar. 2025.

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