1
as in invading
to enter a house or building by force usually with illegal intent
the burglars broke in by smashing a window
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in interrupting
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of breaking in
Just recently, a client came to us because their onboarding and user data pipeline kept breaking in ways their users could feel.
—
Dan Haiem, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Not a week goes by without news of a high-profile auction breaking in Publishers Weekly.
—Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
Other teams breaking in transfer quarterbacks are Illinois (Katin Houser, East Carolina), Nebraska (Anthony Colandrea, UNLV), Northwestern (Aidan Chiles, Michigan State), Penn State (Rocco Becht, Iowa State) and Wisconsin (Colton Joseph, Old Dominion).
—Eric Olson, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
The building had kept deteriorating over the course of time, with people continually breaking in, Olson said.
—Chilekasi Adele, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
If the matter-antimatter asymmetry arose due to a breaking of a certain cosmic symmetry at a higher energy, then restoring the symmetry could lead to that symmetry re-breaking in a different fashion.
—Big Think, 5 Mar. 2026
Wild forward Nico Sturm has been breaking in his Team Germany skates at a few Minnesota practices, and joked about hiding his on-ice moves from NHL teammates that may be foes in Italy.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2026
Dark selvedge blue has a professional and polished edge that simultaneously conjures vintage workwear, breaking in over time.
—Rosie Jarman, Vogue, 27 Jan. 2026
Frightened by the thought of breaking in your jeans?
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2025
Dan Haiem, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Not a week goes by without news of a high-profile auction breaking in Publishers Weekly.
—Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
Other teams breaking in transfer quarterbacks are Illinois (Katin Houser, East Carolina), Nebraska (Anthony Colandrea, UNLV), Northwestern (Aidan Chiles, Michigan State), Penn State (Rocco Becht, Iowa State) and Wisconsin (Colton Joseph, Old Dominion).
—Eric Olson, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
The building had kept deteriorating over the course of time, with people continually breaking in, Olson said.
—Chilekasi Adele, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
If the matter-antimatter asymmetry arose due to a breaking of a certain cosmic symmetry at a higher energy, then restoring the symmetry could lead to that symmetry re-breaking in a different fashion.
—Big Think, 5 Mar. 2026
Wild forward Nico Sturm has been breaking in his Team Germany skates at a few Minnesota practices, and joked about hiding his on-ice moves from NHL teammates that may be foes in Italy.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 5 Feb. 2026
Dark selvedge blue has a professional and polished edge that simultaneously conjures vintage workwear, breaking in over time.
—Rosie Jarman, Vogue, 27 Jan. 2026
Frightened by the thought of breaking in your jeans?
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaking in
Verb
-
More than two millennia later, another invading army is again visible from its shore.—
Euan Ward,
New Yorker,
29 May 2026
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And that can be particularly useful when dramatizing moments that should feel a little off, or when some sinister force is invading the characters’ space.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
28 May 2026
Verb
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They are considered heroes for interrupting the gunmen at the Islamic Center and are credited with likely saving the lives of schoolchildren and teachers.—
Roxana Popescu,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
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Professional photos and videos boost social media engagement by interrupting users’ scrolling patterns with high-quality, relevant content.—
Anthony Savino,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Atlanta police are searching for a woman accused of robbing a Buckhead bank on Wednesday morning.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
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Center fielder Jakob Marsee made a pair of big catches at the wall — robbing Carson Benge of a pair of hits in the first and sixth innings.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
This new haircut keeps the main length while cutting in thick bangs that hit equidistance from her brows and hairline, feathered lightly to take away any density or heaviness.—
Mykenna Maniece,
Vogue,
29 May 2026
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People were complaining about people cutting in lines, but are people blaming Walmart for the line outside at a Black Friday sale?—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breaking in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaking%20in. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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