frac·ture
ˈfrak-chər 
-shər
1
: the result of fracturing : break
2
a
: the act or process of breaking or the state of being broken
especially
: the breaking of hard tissue (such as bone)
b
: the rupture (as by tearing) of soft tissue
kidney fracture
3
: the general appearance of a freshly broken surface of a mineral
fractured; fracturing
ˈfrak-chə-riŋ
-shriŋ
2
a
: to damage or destroy as if by rupturing
b
: to cause great disorder in
c
: to break up : fractionate
d
: to go beyond the limits of (something, such as a rule) : violate
… fractured many of the laws of probability …—
Sheldon Cheney
: to undergo fracture : to crack or break
Her wrist fractured in the fall.
Synonyms
Examples of fracture in a Sentence
Noun
a fracture in the Earth's crust
She suffered a wrist fracture when she slipped on the ice.
Verb
Her wrist fractured when she fell on the ice.
Their happiness was fractured by an unforeseen tragedy.
These problems may fracture the unity of the two parties.
Their fragile happiness fractured all too soon.
Recent Examples on the Web
Abby Roedel, People.com, 5 Dec. 2024
The show was written and filmed before the 2024 election, but the cultural fractures examined here were no less present a few months ago (or years, or even decades).
—Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 28 Nov. 2024
Janis Carr, Orange County Register, 5 Dec. 2024
The media landscape has fractured since then, with the rise of streaming services scrambling the old ways of doing business.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 5 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fracture 
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Noun
Lauren, 44, who was driving their Chevy Suburban and suffered broken bones in both arms, along with spine fractures and an intestinal tear, was the only survivor in their family.
—Verb
Terance Mann, who fractured the middle finger on his left hand in Tuesday’s game, will have surgery Thursday and will miss at least three weeks.
—Dictionary Entries Near fracture
Cite this Entry
“Fracture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fracture. Accessed 11 Dec. 2024.
Medical Definition
fracture
1 of 2 noun
frac·ture
ˈfrak-chər, -shər
1
: the act or process of breaking or the state of being broken
specifically
: the breaking of hard tissue and especially bone
2
: the rupture (as by tearing) of soft tissue
kidney fracture
fracture
2 of 2 transitive verb
fractured; fracturing
-chə-riŋ, -shriŋ
1
: to cause a fracture in
fracture a rib
2
: to cause a rupture or tear in
a blow that fractured a kidney
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