break-in

1 of 2

noun

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

break in

2 of 2

verb

broke in; broken in; breaking in; breaks in

intransitive verb

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

transitive verb

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
Noun
Those break-ins are part of more than 3,500 major property crimes reported in January, according to the Memphis Police Department. Ashley R. Williams and Victor Blackwell, CNN, 3 Mar. 2024 But critics argue the proposal would violate the constitutional right to bear arms by making firearms difficult to access in potentially life-threatening situations, such as home break-ins. Samantha Young, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 The burglary call was the third break-in that morning at the business on the 400 block of Embarcadero, near 5th Avenue. Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2024 At the time, Hartsfield told the Union-Tribune and other news outlets his truck and office had been hit by break-ins, vandalism and theft shortly before the fire. Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Feb. 2024 San Francisco is notorious for car break-ins, although city efforts halved that number in 2023. Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 18 Feb. 2024 Police said on Thursday that have not made any arrests in the break-ins. Olivia Diaz, Washington Post, 17 Feb. 2024 The incident began when officers were called just before 9:30 p.m. to the 5700 block of Shepard Avenue for a report of a vehicle break-in, said Officer Anthony Gamble, a spokesman with the Sacramento Police Department. Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 21 Feb. 2024 In the week since the break-ins, the volunteers said more than $10,000 had been donated to Green Neighbors D.C. Olivia Diaz, Washington Post, 17 Feb. 2024
Verb
The signing completes the Heat’s midseason makeover at the guard position, trading for Terry Rozier in late January, adding Delon Wright on the buyout market during the All-Star break in February and then signing Mills this week. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 Also, the new wall will be staggered, with breaks in places to allow access to the beach. Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2024 The young single mother from Charlotte, North Carolina, ended up getting her heart broken in the pods by castmate Jimmy Presnell during their final date. Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 5 Mar. 2024 Confidence: Medium-High Tonight: More breaks in the clouds are a good bet during the evening and through the night. Ian Livingston, Washington Post, 2 Mar. 2024 The final break in the case came in 2023, when Freeman told detectives McClure was buried in the Ormond Beach area, leading to Wednesday's discovery, the sheriff said. Cara Tabachnick, CBS News, 29 Feb. 2024 Both games will throw up tactical trends that should excite hardcore fans and neutrals alike, with the potential for lots of scoring and few breaks in play. Vitas Carosella, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 After this, officials say Born went to a second home, broke in and stole a blanket, a knife, a wallet, and electronics. Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 26 Feb. 2024 Many members on the panel were unhappy that federal officials seemed to be punting on a proposal for broader student debt relief – even after researchers urged the committee to provide automatic relief to households making less than $71,000, news that USA TODAY broke in early December. Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 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.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1856, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1535, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of break-in was circa 1535

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 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

break-in

1 of 2 noun
ˈbrā-ˌkin
: an act or instance of breaking in

break in

2 of 2 verb
(ˈ)brā-ˈkin
1
: to enter a house or building by force
2
a
: to make used to an activity
breaking in a new employee
b
: to overcome the newness or stiffness of
breaking in a new pair of shoes

Legal Definition

break-in

1 of 2 noun
ˈbrāk-ˌin
: the act or action of breaking in

break in

2 of 2 intransitive verb
: to enter something (as a building or computer system) without privilege (as consent) or by force

More from Merriam-Webster on break-in

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