break in 1 of 2

verb

Definition of break innext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
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

as in burglary

Related Words

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
In another, Asia Argento, in the gaudy finery of Madame du Barry, reads the palms of her co-stars during a break in filming. — Radhika Seth, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026 Gaga and her fiancé Michael Polansky welcomed a daughter, Rose Bean, into their family in June, three months before news of her birth broke in September. — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 20 Oct. 2026
Noun
After her death, counterterrorism police reopened a probe into an alleged firebomb and break-in attempt at Farage’s south London home in April 2025. — ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026 For many companies, security only becomes a priority after something goes wrong—a break-in, a lawsuit or an overnight incident. — Sami Nomair, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for break in
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break in
  1. invade
  2. interrupt
  3. burglary
  4. rob
  5. cut in
  6. holdup
  7. mugging
Verb
  • The day after Israel's modern independence, the armies of Egypt, Syria, Transjordan, Lebanon, and Iraq, with a Saudi contingent in tow, invaded.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Putin’s statements, in an interview with Kremlin journalist Pavel Zarubin broadcast late Thursday, doubled down on his claims to territory in Ukraine that Russia invaded and illegally annexed in 2022.
    — Catherine Belton, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of invade
Verb
  • Adif said in a post on X on Wednesday morning that traffic on the Madrid to Andalucía high-speed line had been interrupted due to a collision between two trains.
    — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Strong building codes, effective enforcement, stronger roofs, protected openings and sound roof-to-wall connections can interrupt the expensive cycle of destruction and reconstruction.
    — Kevin M. McCarty, Sun Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of interrupt
Noun
  • In 2001, Overton was convicted and sentenced to life for the 1996 burglary that led to him being charged for the MacIvors’ murders.
    — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
  • After a 2024 burglary at the store, two of Lucas' co-defendants claimed to Portsmouth Police that about $3,000 of marijuana products were missing.
    — Dan Mangan, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of burglary
Verb
  • The game stayed there the rest of the period thanks in part to Ellis robbing Graf after he was set up in front by Celebrini to preserve the lead.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The rape follows several recent attacks in Central Park, including an incident a week earlier where a woman was beaten and robbed by a trio of masked crooks.
    — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of rob
Verb
  • But even those recreations are cut in with actual archival footage, so they are connected.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Equally noteworthy were the robe coats (belts optional) at Colleen Allen and Calvin Klein, cut in soft shapes for a natural drape.
    — Andrea Zendejas, Vogue, 20 Oct. 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Break in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break%20in. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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