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
ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
The supple suede makes the soft loafer even more comfortable than the rigid leather loafers that dominated last fall, which often require a break-in period.
—Ana Serrano, Glamour, 26 Feb. 2026
Brent Lang, Variety, 27 Feb. 2026
Keep your tone upbeat, ask precise questions, and include breaks in your schedule.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for break-in
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Noun
In Southern California, the fervor around Pokémon cards has led to strings of break-ins in recent months at trading card stores that have amounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars of losses and even some collectors robbed at gunpoint.
—ABC News, 27 Feb. 2026
The supple suede makes the soft loafer even more comfortable than the rigid leather loafers that dominated last fall, which often require a break-in period.
—Ana Serrano, Glamour, 26 Feb. 2026
Verb
Given the behind the scenes drama that has enveloped CBS News since Ellison took over Paramount Skydance, the mood was grim at CNN after the news broke in real time Thursday.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 27 Feb. 2026
Keep your tone upbeat, ask precise questions, and include breaks in your schedule.
—Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 27 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 1 Mar. 2026.
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