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

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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 Police responded March 29 to a burglar alarm at Avenue Flower Shop and Wine Bar, finding several people similarly broke in with sledge hammers. — Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026 Logan Federico, a North Carolina college student, was staying with friends at a South Carolina home on May 3, 2025, when Dickey allegedly broke in. — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026 News about the project, which Boden and Fleck adapted, broke in May 2025. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2026 The news broke in early January 2024, after photos surfaced of Miller on a stroll with her infant and Green. — Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026 Sacramento State is in its first year in the FBS and was a late addition to the MAC — news broke in February, and the Hornets officially joined the league in July — so first-year coach Alonzo Carter is in a tough spot. — Antonio Morales, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 News of the reality reboot first broke in March on Vulture’s Buffering newsletter. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2026 Francisco said no one was inside the cabin when the bear broke in. — David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 14 Aug. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broke in
Verb
  • Russia invaded its neighbor more than 4½ years ago, and there are no concrete signs that a peace settlement might be possible.
    — Susie Blann, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Russia invaded its neighbor more than 4 ½ years ago, and there are no concrete signs that a peace settlement might be possible.
    — HANNA ARHIROVA, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • In all, at least a dozen demonstrators interrupted the president.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • His political career, which included a spell as the Conservative Party’s deputy chairman, was interrupted by a period in prison in 2001 after he was found guilty of lying and cheating in a 1987 libel case against The Daily Star newspaper.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • But Garrett Mitchell tracked it down, leaped at the wall, and robbed Machado on the warning track.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • What about the impact on other clubs and fans, who were potentially robbed of titles, trophies, money, parades, memories?
    — Matt Piper, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • When the interpreter described her as having a filmography of more than 80 titles and began to call her prolific, Gainsbourg cut in.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Sand criticized the Republican House members and senators representing Iowa in Washington for voting in support of SNAP cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in the first place.
    — Gabrielle M. Etzel, The Washington Examiner, 7 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Broke in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broke%20in. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

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