What can you break without ever touching it?

How to think about it

1. Breaking without touching rules out objects. Think of abstract things we describe as “broken”.
2. A broken heart, a broken record, a broken promise, a broken silence.
3. The hint says to keep it instead. Which of those do we “keep”?
4. A promise is broken when you fail to keep it, and no touching is involved.

Why “a promise” is the answer

A promise is kept or broken by what you do, so you can break one without laying a finger on anything. The riddle relies on the figurative sense of “break”, which English applies to promises, rules, silence and hearts. The hint about keeping narrows it to the promise.

Common wrong answers

• Silence. Silence is also broken without touching, so it is a reasonable alternative; the “keep it” hint points to a promise.
• A window with a rock. Throwing a rock means you touched the rock, and the riddle wants nothing physical at all.