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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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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
-
In addition to topical repellents, there are also some effective products that can deter pests from invading your campsite or outdoor dinner party.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
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By one account, Lechuga explains, Wells said his depiction of Martians invading Victorian England was inspired by European colonization of the Aboriginal Tasmanians; by another, the author billed it as a warning about the need to strengthen England’s military capabilities.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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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In the late 1990s, officers from a gang unit in the LAPD’s Rampart Division were accused of robbing people and planting evidence, among other crimes.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
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This talent is noticed by Josh Gad (yes, played by Josh Gad) who puts Doorman into his bank-robbing heist movie franchise.—
Mike Ryan,
IndieWire,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Oehlerking has also been mindful of cutting in a small hatch to take care of routine maintenance.—
Utkarsh Sood
June 05,
New Atlas,
5 June 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Breaking in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaking%20in. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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