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
Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 25 May 2026
Certain areas in South Florida have a history of break-ins at storage units, resulting in costly thefts and vandalism.
—Kody Boye, Miami Herald, 22 May 2026
Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 25 May 2026
Adding a large rug further anchors a small room and prevents fragmentation and a break in sigh lines.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 25 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for break-in
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Noun
Loafers can sometimes feel weirdly stiff straight out of the box, but this popular Uptown pair skips that painful break-in phase.
—Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 25 May 2026
Certain areas in South Florida have a history of break-ins at storage units, resulting in costly thefts and vandalism.
—Kody Boye, Miami Herald, 22 May 2026
Verb
Ahead of a key early matchup against King Philip, Hebert danced at third base during breaks in play.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 25 May 2026
Adding a large rug further anchors a small room and prevents fragmentation and a break in sigh lines.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 25 May 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 26 May. 2026.
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