quebrar
Meanings
Verb
1. to break, to snap, to shatter (to smash or rupture) (transitive)
2. to break (often in legal contexts), violate a law (transitive, figuratively)
3. to bend, flex or twist (transitive)
4. to fail; to go broke; to become bankrupt; to go out of business; to crash, to go bust, to go under (used in political, economic and business/financial/investment contexts) (intransitive)
5. to break up (intransitive)
6. to kill (intransitive, slang, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia)
7. to crack, to break, to shatter (putting the onus on the thing cracking itself, absolving any sentient subject of responsibility) (reflexive)
8. to crack, to break (e.g. crack under pressure, break after interrogation) (reflexive, figuratively)
9. to vomit after drinking too much alcohol (intransitive, slang, Argentina)
Examples46
Creo que quebramos a Tom.
I think we broke Tom.
¿Realmente quieres quebrarme el corazón?
Do you really want to break my heart?
Ha quebrado la empresa.
The company's failed.
La compañía quebró.
The company went bankrupt.
Me caí y me quebré el brazo.
I fell and broke my arm.
Él se quebró el brazo izquierdo.
He broke his left arm.