broken window
Glass needs replacing
A broken window is literally a window with shattered or cracked glass.
The phrase carries weight in criminology through the "broken windows theory," which holds that visible signs of disorder—like a single broken window left unrepaired—invite further vandalism and crime.
The city adopted broken window policing to crack down on minor offenses.
In economics, the "broken window fallacy" refers to the mistaken belief that destruction stimulates economic growth by creating repair work.
- shatteredBroken into fragments
- glassTransparent solid from sand
- crackNarrow break or attempt
- smashBreak violently apart
- shattered dreamsHopes violently ended
vandalism · jagged · repair · glazier · home repair · shard · burglar · rock · baseball · storm · replace · pane · frame · putty · safety · safety glass · alarm · evidence
- Car Damagedent, scratch, dents, scratches, scrape
- Damaged Thingscracked screen, shattered glass, shattered mirror, dented car, scratched surface
- Window Problemscracked windshield, chip, crack, shattered glass, rock chip
- damagebreak, crack, fracture, dent, gash
- weather damagestorm damage, wind damage, hail damage, flood damage, tornado damage
- building damagestructural collapse, cracked foundation, wall crack, bowing, sagging
broken, window, broke, breaks, breaking, unbroken, breakable, unbreakable, breakage