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 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 Sometimes armed with rifles, the settlers intermittently engage in housebreaking, sheep stealing and vandalism. Steven Erlanger Sergey Ponomarev, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2024 Many people need help troubleshooting issues such as housebreaking or leash-walking difficulties. NBC News, 14 Feb. 2022 Zandile Christmas Mafe, 49, who liked to talk politics with friends, was charged on Tuesday with arson, theft, housebreaking and possession of explosives. New York Times, 4 Jan. 2022 The man is expected to appear in court Tuesday to face charges of arson, housebreaking, and theft, a police spokesperson said. Harold Maass, The Week, 3 Jan. 2022 The suspect, who is due to appear in the Cape Town Magistrates Court on Tuesday, has been charged with housebreaking, theft and arson, police said in a statement. Ally Barnard, Alex Stambaugh and David McKenzie, CNN, 3 Jan. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'housebreaking.' 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

1607, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of housebreaking was in 1607

Dictionary Entries Near housebreaking

Cite this Entry

“Housebreaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/housebreaking. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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