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
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
Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 21 Feb. 2026
Oakdale police said over the past several days, there have been numerous car break-ins.
—Chris Hoffman, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2026
Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
Those two breaks in particular account for about half of the stimulus, leading to larger tax refunds and smaller tax payments, the bank found.
—Darla Mercado, Cfp®, CNBC, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for break-in
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Noun
The jury also found Serafini guilty of first-degree burglary for the break-in at the couple’s West Lake Boulevard home.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 21 Feb. 2026
Oakdale police said over the past several days, there have been numerous car break-ins.
—Chris Hoffman, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2026
Verb
In perhaps the biggest break in the case so far, investigators on February 10 released surveillance footage and images recovered from Guthrie’s doorbell camera.
—Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026
Those two breaks in particular account for about half of the stimulus, leading to larger tax refunds and smaller tax payments, the bank found.
—Darla Mercado, Cfp®, CNBC, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for break-in
Cite this Entry
“Break-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/break-in. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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