1
: the act or action of breaking in
a rash of break-ins at the new apartment house
2
: a performance or a series of performances serving as a trial run
3
: an initial period of operation during which working parts begin to function efficiently
broke in; broken in; breaking in; breaks in
1
: to enter something (such as a building or computer system) without consent or by force
2
a
: intrude
break in upon his privacy
b
: to interrupt a conversation
3
: to start in an activity or enterprise
breaking in as a cub reporter
1
: to accustom to a certain activity or occurrence
break in the new clerk
2
: to overcome the stiffness or newness of
break in a pair of shoes
Synonyms
Examples of break-in in a Sentence
Verb
the burglars broke in by smashing a window
he rudely broke in to drop the names of several celebrities that he had met
Recent Examples on the Web
Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
Dead, too, would be the wanted man, Terry Clark Hughes Jr., whose criminal history showed an escalation from a break-in to drug charges to firearms.
—Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 2 May 2024
Officials said the shooting was reported as a break-in around 10:25 a.m.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2024
At the time of its release, the resonance between The Conversation’s tech and the Watergate break-in was unmistakable but unintended; Coppola wrote the screenplay before the White House Plumbers’ malfeasance became front-page news.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Apr. 2024
Cons There is a break-in period as the leather straps caused some irritation in the beginning.
—Olivia Avitt, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024
The break-in at the embassy of Ecuador happened almost a year after hundreds of Cubans crammed into the Peruvian embassy in Havana in April 1980 seeking political asylum.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2024
Each facility was studied before a break-in to determine access, security measures and what looked good to steal, investigators said in court papers.
—Christopher Kuo, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Guests are expected to park on the street (where there are plenty of spots but issues with break-ins).
—Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024
EW.com, 9 May 2024
The county had recently passed an ordinance requiring employers to give outdoor workers 10-minute breaks in the shade for every two hours worked outside.
—Kate Cimini, USA TODAY, 8 May 2024
On the night of April 26, police were called to a home in the 6800 block of Cerritos Avenue, where a male with a gun was reported to have broken in and demanded items from a minor and two adults inside, the Long Beach Police Department said in a statement.
—Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2024
Like a 'Wiggly Angel' After His Rescue In one of the photos, a treat is broken in half, and several twisted metal pieces stick out of the meat-colored center.
—Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 7 May 2024
Journal article on Daniels payment, Jan. 12, 2018 Despite Stormy Daniels staying quiet for more than a year after the 2016 election, the story of Cohen's hush money payment to the adult film actress broke in 2018.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 6 May 2024
Most people agree that the market, which divides into dessert—or eating—apples and cider apples, is broken in one way or another.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 4 May 2024
Even a short break in the records can create problems.
—Raymond Zhong, New York Times, 3 May 2024
The opening is on time this year, a shift from the 2023 season when record snowfall and a break in the region's water pipeline delayed public access.
—Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 2 May 2024
Noun
Crime is a ballot ‘vulnerability’ for California Democrats after Schiff, Bass break-ins.
—Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
Dead, too, would be the wanted man, Terry Clark Hughes Jr., whose criminal history showed an escalation from a break-in to drug charges to firearms.
—Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 2 May 2024
Officials said the shooting was reported as a break-in around 10:25 a.m.
—Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2024
At the time of its release, the resonance between The Conversation’s tech and the Watergate break-in was unmistakable but unintended; Coppola wrote the screenplay before the White House Plumbers’ malfeasance became front-page news.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Apr. 2024
Cons There is a break-in period as the leather straps caused some irritation in the beginning.
—Olivia Avitt, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024
The break-in at the embassy of Ecuador happened almost a year after hundreds of Cubans crammed into the Peruvian embassy in Havana in April 1980 seeking political asylum.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2024
Each facility was studied before a break-in to determine access, security measures and what looked good to steal, investigators said in court papers.
—Christopher Kuo, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Guests are expected to park on the street (where there are plenty of spots but issues with break-ins).
—Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024
Verb
Torrey DeVitto got her big break in the drama series Beautiful People (2005–2006).
—EW.com, 9 May 2024
The county had recently passed an ordinance requiring employers to give outdoor workers 10-minute breaks in the shade for every two hours worked outside.
—Kate Cimini, USA TODAY, 8 May 2024
On the night of April 26, police were called to a home in the 6800 block of Cerritos Avenue, where a male with a gun was reported to have broken in and demanded items from a minor and two adults inside, the Long Beach Police Department said in a statement.
—Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2024
Like a 'Wiggly Angel' After His Rescue In one of the photos, a treat is broken in half, and several twisted metal pieces stick out of the meat-colored center.
—Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 7 May 2024
Journal article on Daniels payment, Jan. 12, 2018 Despite Stormy Daniels staying quiet for more than a year after the 2016 election, the story of Cohen's hush money payment to the adult film actress broke in 2018.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 6 May 2024
Most people agree that the market, which divides into dessert—or eating—apples and cider apples, is broken in one way or another.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 4 May 2024
Even a short break in the records can create problems.
—Raymond Zhong, New York Times, 3 May 2024
The opening is on time this year, a shift from the 2023 season when record snowfall and a break in the region's water pipeline delayed public access.
—Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 2 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'break-in.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near break-in
Cite this Entry
“Break-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/break-in. Accessed 16 May. 2024.
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