broke in

past tense of break in
1
as in invaded
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 interrupted
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 broke in The Herald had reached out to Bronske when the story broke in May, but has not heard back. Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 19 July 2026 News of the separation broke in September, with Kidman filing for divorce by month’s end and the pair reportedly planning on co-parenting classes and submitting a child support worksheet. Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 22 June 2026 And there were times, after the story broke in 2005, that some people on the island would see him and cross the street just to avoid acknowledging him. Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 4 June 2026 News of the Baywatch reboot broke in 2023, and the project subsequently landed at Fox. Entertainment Weekly, 29 May 2026 The scandal first broke in 2022 when a former head of South Africa's state security agency walked into a police station, revealed the theft and accused Ramaphosa of money laundering and other offenses. ABC News, 26 May 2026 One person was arrested after Foxboro, Massachusetts school officials say two dozen high-school aged people threw toilet paper all over the front of the school, and another eight broke in. Mike Sullivan, CBS News, 22 May 2026 Residents were home when two men broke in, according to KTLA. Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026 When the news broke in newspapers in Zimbabwe that the government was planning to cull 600 elephants, Krog made contact with the conservancy. Kamala Thiagarajan, NPR, 26 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broke in
Verb
  • President Joe Biden deployed 180 million barrels to address energy market volatility after Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022.
    Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026
  • In 1940, when France was invaded once again, Monnet went further and suggested a Franco-British union.
    Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • But then they’re interrupted by Wil Wheaton, who’s a wizard in this universe.
    Michael Schneider, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Drones have interrupted firefighters in the past, including in the Palisades Fire last year.
    Morgan Chesky, NBC news, 6 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Between Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, the Musée du Président Jacques Chirac in the central French town of Sarran was robbed for the third time in less than a year, a French public prosecutor told local media outlet Ici Limousin.
    Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The hypothesis was that one of the men — linked to organized crime groups that robbed wealthy homes — attempted to rob the Percy home and Valerie had woken up.
    Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • After the Federal Reserve issued three rate cuts in the final four months of 2025 – which followed the same pattern from 2024 – many expected the rate climate to continue to cool into 2026.
    Matt Richardson, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Although the district reported substantial cuts in its third interim budget report, many of the improvements came from one-time savings, and the district was still projected to remain in the red.
    Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 5 Aug. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Broke in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broke%20in. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!