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
Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 9 Nov. 2025
The charge the adult break-in suspect faces, breaking and entering, is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
—Darcie Moran, Freep.com, 7 Nov. 2025
Dade Hayes, Deadline, 14 Nov. 2025
Unseasonably warm weather is sweeping across the Central United States this week, causing daily record high temperatures to be broken in Lubbock, Texas.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break-in
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Noun
The Hoka Kawana 2 proved best for training thanks to its cloud-like insoles, strong support, and zero break-in period.
—Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 9 Nov. 2025
The charge the adult break-in suspect faces, breaking and entering, is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
—Darcie Moran, Freep.com, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
In cable news, stories break in remote places where NBC affiliates traditionally had been the go-to suppliers of footage and reporters on the ground.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 14 Nov. 2025
Unseasonably warm weather is sweeping across the Central United States this week, causing daily record high temperatures to be broken in Lubbock, Texas.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
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 16 Nov. 2025.
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