> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://jaywin.gitbook.io/leetcode/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://jaywin.gitbook.io/leetcode/solutions/1328-break-a-palindrome.md).

# 1328. Break a Palindrome

<https://leetcode.com/problems/break-a-palindrome>

## Description

Given a palindromic string of lowercase English letters `palindrome`, replace **exactly one** character with any lowercase English letter so that the resulting string is **not** a palindrome and that it is the **lexicographically smallest** one possible.

Return *the resulting string. If there is no way to replace a character to make it not a palindrome, return an **empty string**.*

A string `a` is lexicographically smaller than a string `b` (of the same length) if in the first position where `a` and `b` differ, `a` has a character strictly smaller than the corresponding character in `b`. For example, `"abcc"` is lexicographically smaller than `"abcd"` because the first position they differ is at the fourth character, and `'c'` is smaller than `'d'`.

**Example 1:**

```
**Input:** palindrome = "abccba"
**Output:** "aaccba"
**Explanation:** There are many ways to make "abccba" not a palindrome, such as "zbccba", "aaccba", and "abacba".
Of all the ways, "aaccba" is the lexicographically smallest.
```

**Example 2:**

```
**Input:** palindrome = "a"
**Output:** ""
**Explanation:** There is no way to replace a single character to make "a" not a palindrome, so return an empty string.
```

**Example 3:**

```
**Input:** palindrome = "aa"
**Output:** "ab"
```

**Example 4:**

```
**Input:** palindrome = "aba"
**Output:** "abb"
```

**Constraints:**

* `1 <= palindrome.length <= 1000`
* `palindrome` consists of only lowercase English letters.

## ac

```java
```


---

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