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
News of Christopher’s pending arrival broke in June, when People published photos of Grammer and Walsh, who appeared heavily pregnant at the time.
—
Jami Ganz, Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2025
The brazen daytime heist at the museum last Sunday stunned France, when four men, dressed as workmen, broke in through an upper floor window using a ladder on a moving truck.
—Eleanor Beardsley, NPR, 26 Oct. 2025
News of Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman's divorce broke in September.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
News of the Melania doc first broke in January.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025
The pregnancy news first broke in October 2024, during an episode of The Love Seat podcast hosted by Lauren and Cameron.
—Jane Lacroix, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025
Stacy and her 14-year-old sister, Melissa, were alone in their rural home in Dale, Indiana, when Ward broke in and attacked the teen with a knife.
—Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 29 Sep. 2025
The storied legacy began with patriarch Ray Boone, who broke in as an infielder with Cleveland in 1948; followed by his son Bob (1972-1990); and grandsons Bret (1992-2005) and Aaron (1997-2009).
—Candace Oehler, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Leoni’s brother, John, broke in to find their mother dead inside.
—Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Jami Ganz, Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2025
The brazen daytime heist at the museum last Sunday stunned France, when four men, dressed as workmen, broke in through an upper floor window using a ladder on a moving truck.
—Eleanor Beardsley, NPR, 26 Oct. 2025
News of Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman's divorce broke in September.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
News of the Melania doc first broke in January.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025
The pregnancy news first broke in October 2024, during an episode of The Love Seat podcast hosted by Lauren and Cameron.
—Jane Lacroix, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2025
Stacy and her 14-year-old sister, Melissa, were alone in their rural home in Dale, Indiana, when Ward broke in and attacked the teen with a knife.
—Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 29 Sep. 2025
The storied legacy began with patriarch Ray Boone, who broke in as an infielder with Cleveland in 1948; followed by his son Bob (1972-1990); and grandsons Bret (1992-2005) and Aaron (1997-2009).
—Candace Oehler, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Leoni’s brother, John, broke in to find their mother dead inside.
—Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broke in
Verb
-
Our country just invaded Venezuela and captured its president, who admittedly was a bad guy.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Jan. 2026
-
There’s no way Trump would have invaded Venezuela if that country didn’t have vast deposits of oil.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Their opening night gets interrupted when blood thirsty vampires are lured in by the musical talents of Sammie (Miles Caton), a young blues musician.—
Yamillah Hurtado,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Trump interrupted over his shoulder.—
Dexter Filkins,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The pandemic robbed the 2022 Games in Beijing of their luster.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Wiser heads, though, can see that the fraud also robbed funds from those who needed them the most and that rooting out fraud should not be a partisan issue.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Some sliver of the original concept survived through production, only to be cut in post-production.—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Diggs recorded two of his three catches on first down, including his 34-yarder on a deep in-cut in the second half.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Broke in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broke%20in. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share