Verb (5-dan, く, transitive)
1. to break (into pieces); to smash; to crush; to shatter; to grind (into powder); to pound
人間の力では石を砕くなんて無理らしい。Apparently it's impossible to break stone with human strength.
2. to shatter (someone's hopes, confidence, etc.); to crush; to frustrate
その一言が彼の夢を砕いた。That one remark shattered his dream.
3. to simplify; to make easy to understand
先生は難しい話を砕いて説明してくれた。The teacher explained the difficult topic in simple terms.