housebreaking

noun

house·​break·​ing ˈhau̇s-ˌbrā-kiŋ How to pronounce housebreaking (audio)
: an act of breaking open and entering the dwelling house of another with a felonious purpose
housebreaker noun

Examples of housebreaking in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Last week, the suspects were returned to Grenada, where they were all charged with two counts of capital murder, escaping lawful custody, housebreaking, robbery and two counts of kidnapping. Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 15 Mar. 2024 Ron Mitchell, a 30-year-old sailor; Atiba Stanislaus, a 25-year-old farmer; and Trevon Robertson, a 23-year-old unemployed man, were charged with capital murder, escaping lawful custody, housebreaking, robbery and kidnapping. CBS News, 8 Mar. 2024 The three suspects have also been charged with escaping lawful custody, housebreaking, robbery and kidnapping. Michael Rios, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 The three inmates were also charged with escaping lawful custody, housebreaking, robbery, and two counts of kidnapping. Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 8 Mar. 2024 Sometimes armed with rifles, the settlers intermittently engage in housebreaking, sheep stealing and vandalism. Steven Erlanger Sergey Ponomarev, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1607, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of housebreaking was in 1607

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Housebreaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/housebreaking. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

housebreaking

noun
house·​break·​ing -ˌbrā-kiŋ How to pronounce housebreaking (audio)
: the act of breaking into a person's house with the intention of committing a crime
housebreaker noun

Legal Definition

housebreaking

noun
house·​break·​ing ˈhau̇s-ˌbrā-kiŋ How to pronounce housebreaking (audio)
: the act of breaking into and entering the dwelling house of another for the purpose of committing a felony
housebreaker noun
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