broke 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of brokenext
as in poor
lacking money or material possessions too broke to afford even a used car

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broke

2 of 2

verb

past tense of break
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 ended
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 died
to stop functioning after working for 30 years, the pump simply broke one day

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11
as in retreated
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 wore
to use up all the physical energy of the trek up the mountain just about broke me

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13
as in circulated
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 began
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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19
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
That was about four months after Buc-ee's broke ground near Dayton. — ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026 The Democratic National Committee is both broke and broken, a New York Times bombshell last weekend detailed. — Philip Elliott, Time, 3 Aug. 2026
Verb
Dudamel broke his silence in May 2017 after a young musician was killed during a protest. — Max Feliu, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026 As audiences grew more sophisticated, dramas broke more boundaries. — Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for broke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broke
  1. poor
  2. disrupted
  3. ended
  4. demoted
  5. deciphered
  6. paused
  7. plowed
  8. violated
Adjective
  • Measles usually kills two or three people in every 1,000 cases, the WHO says, but the disease can be more deadly in poorer nations because of factors such as malnutrition.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
  • That receiver sends that poor defender into next week at the pylon.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of poor
Verb
  • When those signals are blocked, disrupted or deliberately jammed, vehicles may need other methods to maintain reliable navigation.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
  • While the restorations are only to the marble surface of the building, the meticulous nature of the job would have disrupted all aspects of the Plaza experience for would-be guests.
    — Timothy Latterner, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of disrupted
Verb
  • After a weak showing in Iowa, Ramaswamy ended his campaign and quickly folded into the broader MAGA-verse.
    — Philip Elliott, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
  • During the hearing, which ended without a decision, Reyes chastised the government attorneys, who had previously told the court that renovating the links was still in its conceptual stage.
    — Rachel Treisman, NPR, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of ended
Verb
  • Detroit demoted former general manager Steve Yzerman in July, giving him an advisory role to owner and CEO Chris Ilitch, and named Shawn Horcoff interim GM after failing to hire one during a search.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Wilson was eventually demoted, making Winston the primary backup.
    — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of demoted
Verb
  • But a more apt comparison might be the Mirabilia Urbis Romae, in which Medieval scholars deciphered the staggering ruins of Classical Rome.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Re-creating the Herculaneum scrolls To date, one entire scroll and passages from others have been deciphered, largely thanks to the Vesuvius Challenge, a project launched in 2023 that encourages researchers to decode scrolls for cash prizes.
    — Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of deciphered
Verb
  • The protests then broadened as France’s CGT labor union and other activists joined in while students paused for a fall break.
    — Teresa Medrano, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The pope paused for a moment and waved to the crowd before retreating into his apartment in the Apostolic Palace.
    — Colleen Barry, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of paused
Verb
  • Rams defensive tackle Kobie Turner repeatedly plowed past him, which stalled the Eagles' run game.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Three plays later, Andrew Miller plowed in for his third score of the night to put Harding up 28-21, but the Tigers didn't quit.
    — Erick Taylor, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of plowed
Verb
  • In a victory for the journalists, Kelly expanded a previous, temporary ruling that the administration had violated the news outlets' Fifth Amendment right to due process.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Nevertheless, even if the amendments had met the threshold and passed, the WIAA cannot implement a policy that is in violation of Washington state law and the amendments proposed would have violated state law.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of violated

Browse Nearby Words

broils
broke
broke bread
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Cite this Entry

“Broke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broke. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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