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
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Recent Examples of broke in
Selected by Chicago in the third round of the 1980 draft, the center broke in with the Blackhawks by playing one game as a 19-year-old during the 1981-82 season.
—
Dylan Olsen, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Off a bad change by the B’s, Timo Meier broke in alone but Korpisalo thwarted his first shot and just managed to get his pad down to smother Meier’s follow-up.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 17 Mar. 2026
The center broke in with the Hawks by playing one game as a 19-year-old during the 1981-82 season.
—Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
News broke in June 2025 that Allman was taken to a hospital in San Bernardino County for demonstrating erratic behavior after authorities received a disturbance call.
—Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 1 Mar. 2026
Given the behind the scenes drama that has enveloped CBS News since Ellison took over Paramount Skydance, the mood was grim at CNN after the news broke in real time Thursday.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 27 Feb. 2026
News broke in August that a portable shelter owned by the schools was gifted to the Florida Division of Emergency Management, to be used at the Alligator Alcatraz detention camp.
—Thomas Kennedy, Sun Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2026
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
Dylan Olsen, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Off a bad change by the B’s, Timo Meier broke in alone but Korpisalo thwarted his first shot and just managed to get his pad down to smother Meier’s follow-up.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 17 Mar. 2026
The center broke in with the Hawks by playing one game as a 19-year-old during the 1981-82 season.
—Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
News broke in June 2025 that Allman was taken to a hospital in San Bernardino County for demonstrating erratic behavior after authorities received a disturbance call.
—Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 1 Mar. 2026
Given the behind the scenes drama that has enveloped CBS News since Ellison took over Paramount Skydance, the mood was grim at CNN after the news broke in real time Thursday.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 27 Feb. 2026
News broke in August that a portable shelter owned by the schools was gifted to the Florida Division of Emergency Management, to be used at the Alligator Alcatraz detention camp.
—Thomas Kennedy, Sun Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broke in
Verb
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Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, topped more than $100 a barrel on Monday for the first time since 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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That operation began on October 29, 1956, when Israel invaded the Sinai Peninsula and rapidly overwhelmed Egyptian forces.—
Ishaan Tharoor,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Round Lake appears to have been drawn by a kindergartner who was interrupted halfway through snack time.—
Mark Glende,
Twin Cities,
3 Apr. 2026
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The attack was interrupted by an Amazon truck that drove by, the victim said, prompting the suspect and another person to flee on foot.—
Megan Cassidy,
San Francisco Chronicle,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This was believed to be the first time in baseball history a player has robbed three homers in one game.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
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Life for a child should be a time of wonder and discovery, but children with cancer are sometimes robbed of those wonders.—
Ross Guidotti,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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There's no numbered ticketing system, so keep track of your place in line or a regular will cut in front of you.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
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As director Bill Benz noted in our profile of Chris Fleming, Live at the Palace feels like a wildlife documentary, where the cameras move, zoom, and cut in hopes of capturing this majestic creature in its element.—
Hershal Pandya,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Broke in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broke%20in. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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