This classic riddle sounds impossible at first: what can be broken without ever being touched, and kept without ever being held? The trick is that the answer is not a physical object at all.
The answer is: a promise.
You can break a promise without touching anything, simply by failing to do what you said you would do. You can also keep a promise without holding anything in your hands. That double meaning is what makes the riddle work so well.
It is a simple word puzzle built around two familiar expressions: “break a promise” and “keep a promise.” Once you notice that the verbs are being used figuratively rather than literally, the answer becomes clear. It is a short riddle, but it is effective because the wording makes your mind search for a physical object first.
