Showing results for "broke"

• past tense form of break.
• past participle of break.

broke

American  

[brohk] / broʊk /

verb

1. a simple past tense of break.

2. Nonstandard. a past participle of break.

3. Archaic. a past participle of break.

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adjective

1. without money; penniless.

   Synonyms:

   impoverished, destitute, insolvent

2. bankrupt.

   Synonyms:

   impoverished, destitute, insolvent

noun

1. Papermaking. paper unfit for sale; paper that is to be repulped.

2. brokes, wool of poor quality taken from the neck and belly of sheep.

idioms

1. go broke,

   1. to become destitute of money or possessions.

   2. to go bankrupt.

      In that business people are forever going broke.

2. go for broke, to exert oneself or employ one's resources to the utmost.

broke British  

/ brəʊk /

verb

1. the past tense of break

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adjective

1. informal having no money; bankrupt

2. slang to risk everything in a gambling or other venture

broke More Idioms  

1. see flat broke; go broke; go for (broke); if it ain't broke don't fix it. Also see under break.

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Etymology

Origin of broke

First recorded in 1655–65 for the adjective; 1875–80 for the noun

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

broke

The stock fell more than 8% after talks with Moeve on a potential downstream combination broke down, overshadowing earnings growth and a full-year guidance hike.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026

In the summer, Spurs twice broke their transfer record with three of their first signings, as they added centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton, Fernandes from West Ham and Sandro Tonali from Newcastle.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

Not realizing its weight, and with no experience in caring for precious artifacts — or, according to the report, listening to words of caution — the crew dropped the globe and broke it.

From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2026

Afterwards, though, clashes broke out as the crowd was dispersing.

From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2026

The silence screeches of disappointment, and I pedal backward, trying to salvage at least a bit of what I just broke.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

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Related Words

• bankrupt
• destitute
• insolvent
• penniless

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