break in 1 of 2

1
as in to invade
to enter a house or building by force usually with illegal intent the burglars broke in by smashing a window

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2
as in to interrupt
to cause a disruption in a conversation or discussion he rudely broke in to drop the names of several celebrities that he had met

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break-in

2 of 2

noun

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of break in
Verb
On the night of Oct. 6, 2016, Kardashian was by herself in her room at the No Address Hotel in Paris when five men dressed as policemen broke in, tied up her feet and hands and gagged her before putting her in a bathtub. Caroline Blair, People.com, 13 May 2025 Margaret Burke had her breasts removed the first day of Roanoke College’s winter break in December 2010. Air Mail, 10 May 2025
Noun
Didn't appear that there were any signs of a break-in, or a crime that occurred at the home. Chris Young Ritzen, CBS News, 10 May 2025 In a lawsuit filed against current and former owners and property managers of the facility, tenants say the building has fallen into disrepair and lacked security for months at a time, allowing outsiders to wander into the property, resulting in break-ins, drug use and fires in stairwells. Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for break in
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break in
Verb
  • This metabolically active fat accumulates around the waist, surrounding and invading the heart, liver, and pancreas.
    Larry Olmsted, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
  • Georgetown Law School Professor David Super also questioned the amount of deference that Haines gave the administration, including on the questions of whether Tren de Aragua is invading the U.S. and whether the Venezuelan government is responsible.
    Joe Walsh May 15, CBS News, 15 May 2025
Verb
  • Making progress: Remember the story of the footballers who had their dreams interrupted by the Taliban?
    Emily Olsen, New York Times, 13 May 2025
  • During the broadcast Hudson interrupted a question about their relationship, leading to backlash and discourse over her role in the coach’s professional life.
    Glamour, Glamour, 12 May 2025
Noun
  • In May 2019, he was indicted by a grand jury for burglary of a habitation—a felony.
    Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2025
  • Detectives kept insisting the crime fit the pattern of a residential burglary, not a love triangle.
    Christopher Goffard, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025
Verb
  • Will Luka finally realize that his poor conditioning was his beloved Dallas Mavericks’ main reason for foolishly giving him away, and, while the Mavericks were robbed in the deal, all this talk of weight issues was absolutely true?
    Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2025
  • Police allege that shortly after midnight on April 19, Jones and Upshaw approached a Richmond resident on the 500 block of 18th Street in Uptown Oakland, and attempted to rob him for a diamond necklace.
    Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 10 May 2025
Verb
  • Since the season began, Homa has played in 10 events, missing the cut in five of them.
    Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025
  • According to Fed Fund Futures tracked by CNBC, the chances of a Fed cut in July have moved from 69% to 42% after the agreement.
    Frank Holland, CNBC, 12 May 2025
Noun
  • Images shared on social media showed road traffic holdups in Bali as a result of the outage and long lines at the airport check-in counters.
    Reuters, CNN Money, 2 May 2025
  • While the swap of players makes a lot of sense for both teams, the value itself would be the holdup.
    Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Break in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20in. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

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