1
as in invades
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 interrupts
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 breaks in
Gary Brown, Director of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, says there are roughly 51 water main breaks in the city, and nine have been isolated and are being repaired.
—
Gino Vicci, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Out of that organization came the popular Sundance Film Festival, an event held annually in Park City, Utah, that gave filmmakers Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, Kevin Smith, Darren Aronofsky, Paul Thomas Anderson and many others their first big breaks in the movie industry.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026
Initially, Parsons and Rockwell had offered to let Osubor — who has been working on Rockwell’s projects — take breaks in their home as needed, given his plumbing problems.
—Juliet Pennington, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026
Even hobby ranches can qualify for property tax breaks in many areas; ranching business expenses can be deducted from federal taxes; and private property associated with grazing permits is a stable long-term investment.
—Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 12 Jan. 2026
For a less-intense option, take breaks in between your jumps, don’t jump as high, or do fewer than 50 jumps.
—Danielle Zickl, Outside, 11 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, a new annual intra-continental competition called the African Nations League (ANL) is set to be played every year from 2029 in September, October, and November during breaks in the international football calendar.
—Martin K.n Siele, semafor.com, 6 Jan. 2026
This season, the league’s style has become increasingly ugly; a division defined by long throws, breaks in play, and timewasting.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
The pop star has taken several social media breaks in recent years — briefly in 2021 and twice in 2022 — and has periodically stepped away from posting ever since.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 8 Nov. 2025
Gino Vicci, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Out of that organization came the popular Sundance Film Festival, an event held annually in Park City, Utah, that gave filmmakers Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, Kevin Smith, Darren Aronofsky, Paul Thomas Anderson and many others their first big breaks in the movie industry.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026
Initially, Parsons and Rockwell had offered to let Osubor — who has been working on Rockwell’s projects — take breaks in their home as needed, given his plumbing problems.
—Juliet Pennington, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026
Even hobby ranches can qualify for property tax breaks in many areas; ranching business expenses can be deducted from federal taxes; and private property associated with grazing permits is a stable long-term investment.
—Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 12 Jan. 2026
For a less-intense option, take breaks in between your jumps, don’t jump as high, or do fewer than 50 jumps.
—Danielle Zickl, Outside, 11 Jan. 2026
Meanwhile, a new annual intra-continental competition called the African Nations League (ANL) is set to be played every year from 2029 in September, October, and November during breaks in the international football calendar.
—Martin K.n Siele, semafor.com, 6 Jan. 2026
This season, the league’s style has become increasingly ugly; a division defined by long throws, breaks in play, and timewasting.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
The pop star has taken several social media breaks in recent years — briefly in 2021 and twice in 2022 — and has periodically stepped away from posting ever since.
—Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 8 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaks in
Verb
-
Moisture invades your porch cushions and flooring, leading to the growth of mold, mildew, and algae.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
4 Jan. 2026
-
Both sides gave conflicting accounts of the incident, which follows weeks of retaliation from China after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested Tokyo might intervene if China invades Taiwan.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
8 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Curiosity also interrupts a common cognitive distortion in conflict, which is to assume intent.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
16 Jan. 2026
-
Coogan interrupts, unable to resist a punch line.—
Julia Black,
Vanity Fair,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Rocking, jerking, and twisting in your seat introduces momentum, which only robs you of the full benefits of the exercise.—
Jenessa Connor,
Health,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Doomscrolling too often robs people of sleep, so charging your phone outside of your bedroom (or at least far away from your bed) can help curb this, too.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Breaks in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaks%20in. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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