nothing was broken

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "nothing was broken" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to indicate that no damage occurred in a particular situation or event. Example: "After the party, I was relieved to find that nothing was broken in the house."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

23 human-written examples

"Nothing was broken".

The New York Times

Luckily, nothing was broken.

The New York Times - Sports

But nothing was broken or even bruised.

The New York Times - Magazine

Nothing was broken, but the soreness persisted for months.

The New York Times

"At the time they were saying nothing was broken.

The New York Times

When tests proved nothing was broken, merely extensively bruised, Messi did as Messi invariably does.

The New York Times - Sports

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

34 human-written examples

Nothing is broken.

The New Yorker

"Nothing is broken; nothing needs fixing," they said.

The New York Times

The good news is that nothing is broken.

The Guardian - Sport

Nothing is broken but the impact on his hip is very big".

Independent

I just went to an acupuncturist on Nassau Street and he said nothing is broken.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "nothing was broken" to reassure someone after an event that could have caused damage, such as a fall or a party. It directly addresses concerns about potential harm.

Common error

Avoid using "nothing was broken" in purely metaphorical or abstract situations where physical damage is not relevant. Opt for phrases like "no trust was lost" or "no agreements were violated" instead of forcing the "broken" metaphor.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "nothing was broken" functions as a statement confirming the absence of physical damage. Ludwig shows that this construction is frequently used after events with potential for damage, like accidents or natural disasters.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

52%

Formal & Business

13%

Wiki

13%

Less common in

Science

9%

Reference

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "nothing was broken" is a grammatically sound and commonly used expression to indicate the absence of physical damage. According to Ludwig AI, it is most frequently found in news and media contexts, serving to reassure or inform about the state of affairs following an event. While versatile, it's best reserved for situations involving tangible objects or physical harm. The phrase has a neutral register and several alternative formulations, such as "no damage occurred", offering writers flexibility in their choice of expression.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

no damage occurred

Emphasizes the absence of damage, focusing on the event or action that might have caused it.

everything remained intact

Highlights the preservation of wholeness and completeness.

there was no breakage

Specifically refers to the absence of something being broken.

no harm was done

Focuses on the lack of negative consequences or damage.

nothing was harmed

Highlights the absence of harm or damage to something.

it's all in one piece

Informal way of saying something is not broken. Implies that something could easily not be in one piece, but luckily it is.

it's still in good condition

Focuses on the maintained quality of something.

it's undamaged

Short and direct way of conveying that something is free from damage.

it's unbroken

Highlights that something has not been broken.

no components were fractured

Technical term, focuses on absence of damage to parts of something. Use when focus is on the components.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "nothing was broken" to sound more formal?

In more formal settings, you could use phrases such as "no damage occurred" or "everything remained intact" to convey the same meaning with greater gravitas.

Is "nothing was broken" the same as "nothing got broken"?

Yes, "nothing was broken" and "nothing got broken" are essentially interchangeable. The latter is slightly more informal but conveys the same idea that no damage occurred.

When is it appropriate to use "nothing was broken"?

Use "nothing was broken" when you want to express that something has survived an event or situation without sustaining damage. For example, "After the earthquake, we checked the house and thankfully, "nothing was broken"."

What's a more emphatic way to say "nothing was broken"?

To emphasize the lack of damage, you could say "absolutely nothing was broken" or "not a single thing was broken".