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 Francisco said no one was inside the cabin when the bear broke in. David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 14 Aug. 2026 And when the news first broke in Semafor last month that Paramount was seriously considering a move out of state, industry observers dismissed the threat as corporate saber rattling. Chris Lee, Vulture, 13 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broke in
Verb
  • The president imposed martial law, which prohibits elections from being held, when Russian forces invaded the country in February 2022.
    Duarte Dias, CBS News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • As such, William promptly invaded, with Pope Alexander II on his side.
    Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 20 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Which of these adults will have their real estate crimes interrupted by those meddling kids and their puppy?
    Bethy Squires, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • If live streaming is interrupted because of an unstable connection or technical issue, the parent will be notified, according to the outlet.
    Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Owen is bamboozled by a cunning opportunist, handcuffed, and robbed in his underwear.
    Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Though he’s never been drugged with scopolamine, he was sedated with benzodiazepines and robbed several years ago, and has devoted much of his channel to warning tourists about the risks.
    Mattha Busby, Rolling Stone, 19 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • During slaughter, done in the name of God, the animal must be cut in one swift motion and drained of blood.
    Maven Navarro, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Shares of the maker of devices such as pacemakers and stents have been nearly cut in half already this year, under pressure after issuing a weak profit forecast in the first quarter.
    Tobias Burns, CNBC, 26 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 28 Aug. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster