Thesaurus results for BREAK-IN

break in 1 of 2

verb

Definition of break in

as in to invade

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

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

Prosecutors alleged Flynn shot Ashley in the back of the head inside their Tipp City home before staging the scene to look like an intruder had broken in. — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026 Department of Public Works crews work on repairs to the scene of a water main break in Romeo, Michigan. — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026

Noun

A week before the chain opened its first store in 2007, a break-in cost Jammet and his cofounders, Neman and Nathaniel Ru, the laptop that held their recipes and training materials. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026 The most recent break-in was early Sunday morning near State Street and Cermak Road. — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for break in

Recent Examples of Synonyms for break in

Verb

Russia invaded its neighbor more than 4½ years ago, and there are no concrete signs that a peace settlement might be possible.

— Susie Blann, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026
Russia invaded its neighbor more than 4 ½ years ago, and there are no concrete signs that a peace settlement might be possible.

— HANNA ARHIROVA, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of invade

Verb

Roy interrupts this life update to summon the Diamond Dogs for advice about his predicament.

— Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026
Every Consequential System Needs A Credible Stopping Mechanism Human operators must be able to interrupt, isolate and retire any consequential system.

— Babajide Ojuola, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of interrupt

Noun

Licensed firearms dealers in Maryland must notify state officials of crimes that occurred at their business, including thefts and burglaries, within 24 hours or face potential fines.

— Liam Bowman, Washington Post, 1 Oct. 2026
All six have been indicted in Nebraska in the ATM operation and face other charges that include providing material support to Tren de Aragua, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank burglary and money-laundering conspiracy.

— Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of burglary

Verb

Online videos of past GTA versions show players gunning down police, robbing a liquor store and getting lap dances from topless strippers.

— Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
Around the same time, legacy media began its slow decline, robbing magazines and TV shows of much of their PR powers.

— Brian Raftery, Vanity Fair, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of rob

Verb

Those crews, Coles said, were one of the casualties from a swath of federal budget cuts in the 1980s.

— Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
The majority of the layoffs on the studios side were within Pixar and majority of cuts in the TV group were at National Geographic.

— Todd Spangler, Variety, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of cut in

Noun

Service learned the holdup was due to the site in question also being considered a homeless encampment.

— Lisa Rozner, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
Lee was convicted of fatally shooting Jimmy Ellis, 53, and Elaine Thompson, 44, during a pawn shop holdup in 1998 in Orrville, about 60 miles west of Montgomery.

— Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of holdup

Noun

Trump’s Arch will commemorate his overnight mugging of Venezuela and his colossal misadventures in Iran.

— Letters to the Editor, Hartford Courant, 24 Sep. 2026
It’s been 14 years since that mugging, and I haven’t been robbed since, despite traveling to more than 60 countries and moving to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

— Joel Balsam, Travel + Leisure, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of mugging

Browse Nearby Words

breakfronts

break in

break-in

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Break in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20in. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of break in

verb

noun

Example Sentences

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