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
Relevance
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
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 breaks in
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
Lunch over, there’s refreshments in the Lounge Bar, where staff, who ride with the train for the full 24-hour trip, taking breaks in their own cabins, have less expansive concerns.
—Antonia Mortensen, CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2025
To minimize risks during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) advises incorporating frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned areas.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 27 Oct. 2025
The donation, which breaks in tradition for how the military is usually funded, through Congressional appropriations, faces some legal and ethical challenges.
—Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
The process of fluffing the tree took roughly an hour with a few breaks in between to rest my arms—a nice arm workout!
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 20 Oct. 2025
As for the tourney’s final broadcast, NBC figures the lazy Sunday allure of afternoon channel surfing should help lure viewers to the links during breaks in the NFL action.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 25 Sep. 2025
Similar to the Kansas game, Mizzou caught a handful of breaks in coverage with misfires from the quarterback.
—Quentin Corpuel, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2025
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
Lunch over, there’s refreshments in the Lounge Bar, where staff, who ride with the train for the full 24-hour trip, taking breaks in their own cabins, have less expansive concerns.
—Antonia Mortensen, CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2025
To minimize risks during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) advises incorporating frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned areas.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 27 Oct. 2025
The donation, which breaks in tradition for how the military is usually funded, through Congressional appropriations, faces some legal and ethical challenges.
—Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
The process of fluffing the tree took roughly an hour with a few breaks in between to rest my arms—a nice arm workout!
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 20 Oct. 2025
As for the tourney’s final broadcast, NBC figures the lazy Sunday allure of afternoon channel surfing should help lure viewers to the links during breaks in the NFL action.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 25 Sep. 2025
Similar to the Kansas game, Mizzou caught a handful of breaks in coverage with misfires from the quarterback.
—Quentin Corpuel, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for breaks in
Verb
-
When a new and potentially harmful germ invades our immune system, the body reacts by raising its core temperature.—
Erika Edwards,
NBC news,
6 Nov. 2025
-
In contrast, prostate cancer tumors will often have an irregular shape with blurred edges as the cancer invades surrounding tissue.—
MD Published,
PEOPLE,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Speaking of Grande, a second clip posted Thursday by NBC opens with figure skating champion Alysa Liu performing a breathtaking routine on the ice before something like an earthquake interrupts her.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Vahid even interrupts an engagement photo shoot of Shiva’s (Mariam Afshari) for Goli (Hadis Pakbaten) and Ali (Madj Panahi) to see if two of three can tag him.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The movie tries to pick up the threads of previous films, but, in attempting to make Myers more mystical, this film robs him of his knife-edge menace.—
Chris Snellgrove,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Advertisement Displacement robs people of agency.—
Cas Holman,
Time,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Breaks in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/breaks%20in. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share