burglarize

verb

bur·​glar·​ize ˈbər-glə-ˌrīz 

also ˈbər-gə-lə-

burglarized; burglarizing

transitive verb

1

: to break into and steal from

burglarize a house

2

: to commit burglary against

intransitive verb

: to commit burglary

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a difference between burglarize and rob?

To burglarize is "to break into and enter of a building with the intent to commit a crime, often theft," whereas rob means " to take personal property from by violence or threat." Burglary need not entail violence or threat, and robbery need not entail breaking into a dwelling.

Is the verb form of burglary, burgle or burglarize?

The verb form of burglary can be either burglarize or burgle. "Burglarize," like many verb forms, is made by adding the suffix -ize, and this form is more common in American English. Burgle is a back-formation (a word formed by subtraction of a real or supposed affix from an already existing longer word), and is more common in British English. Both are widely accepted as correct.

Is burglarized a real word?

Yes, it is, and so is burgle. While both variants of the verb, burgle and burglarize, have been disparaged since they entered the language in the middle of the 19th century, both are real words, and both have come to be widely accepted.

Synonyms of burglarize

• invade
• rob

Examples of burglarize in a Sentence

the Watergate scandal began when Republican operatives burglarized the Democratic Party's headquarters in Washington, D.C.

before they were caught, the thieves had burglarized dozens of houses around the city

Recent Examples on the Web

According to charging documents, these were Hodges' fourth and fifth burglaries this week, after allegedly attempting to break into one home and successfully burglarizing another on Monday. —Ashley Paul, CBS News, 28 May 2026

Burrow’s Ohio home was also burglarized while the Bengals quarterback was playing the Dallas Cowboys in Texas during Monday Night Football, according to investigators. —Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 26 May 2026

Two of those men, Ignacio Zuniga Cartes and Bastian Jimenez Freraut, were arrested in Argentina after reportedly joining others in burglarizing the home of former tennis star Juan Martín Del Potro, the Argentine newspaper Clarín reported. —Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 25 May 2026

Byron Gonzálo Sáez Sotomayor is accused of burglarizing or attempting to burglarize 18 homes in the San Fernando Valley and West Los Angeles, often targeting multiple residences in a single evening, prosecutors said. —Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for burglarize

• advertise
• aggrandize
• alibis
• alkalies
• alkalis
• amortize
• amplifies
• analyse
• analyze
• anywise
• authorize
• butterflies

Kids Definition

burglarize

verb

bur·​glar·​ize ˈbər-glə-ˌrīz 

burglarized; burglarizing

: to break into and steal from

burglarize a house

Legal Definition

burglarize

transitive verb

bur·​glar·​ize ˈbər-glə-ˌrīz 

burglarized; burglarizing

: to commit a burglary at

burglarized the apartment