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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
Mabel and Charles follow leads after a break-in. Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025 The jury also found Serafini guilty of first-degree burglary for the break-in at the couple’s West Lake Boulevard home. Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2025
Noun
Iza had previously sent his security detail to Zelocchi’s house and tried to break in; Zelocchi had fired several rounds before police arrived. Jesse Hyde, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2025 Though neither Levinson nor HBO have indicated that Euphoria season 3 will see a break in episode format. Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for break-in
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break-in
Verb
  • The French fright fest features a very pregnant widow (Alysson Paradis) who sees her home invaded on Christmas Eve by a mysterious woman in black (Beatrice Dalle) dead set on cutting her baby out with some scissors.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Licensing officials also investigated educators accused of grooming behaviors like flirting with children, spending non-school time alone and isolated with students, or invading students’ personal space by rubbing their shoulders, thighs and lower backs.
    Danielle DuClos, jsonline.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Three separate protesters interrupted the former vice president to heckle her about Palestine within minutes of her taking the stage at the Southbank Centre on Thursday night to promote her memoir, 107 Days.
    Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Those plans are interrupted, though, when his daughter (Selena Gomez) falls in love with a human (Andy Samberg).
    Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The jury also found Serafini guilty of first-degree burglary for the break-in at the couple’s West Lake Boulevard home.
    Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Robberies and burglaries have gone down about 23% and 28%, respectively.
    Chantelle Lee, Time, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Both men are suspected of having been part of a team alleged to have robbed the Louvre last week.
    David Brennan, ABC News, 26 Oct. 2025
  • The movie tries to pick up the threads of previous films, but, in attempting to make Myers more mystical, this film robs him of his knife-edge menace.
    Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The requests come at a fiscally unstable time for the district, which has had to make tens of millions of dollars worth of cuts in recent years to maintain local control.
    Sierra Lopez, Mercury News, 19 Oct. 2025
  • Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
    Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • But the holdup is the fact that, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer, Golden State does not want Malik Monk in return.
    Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
  • With training camp underway and the regular season opener coming up in less than a month, Kaprizov’s words Thursday might provide fans with hope that holdup is about economics and not environment.
    Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 19 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Staged to look like a random mugging of a courier, the robbery was, in fact, a sophisticated heist that would ultimately involve the Provisional IRA, the New York mafia and the Colombian cartel.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025
  • The mugging of his early selfies has vanished.
    David Kamp, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Break-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break-in. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.

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