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

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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 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broke in
Verb
  • China has occupied Tibet since 1950, when the People’s Liberation Army invaded the Himalayan region.
    David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 3 July 2026
  • After reservoirs in the Netherlands were invaded in the 1990s, research showed ecological damage, with the bloody red shrimp outcompeting native small crustaceans and zooplankton for resources, Branstrator said.
    Keith Matheny, Freep.com, 3 July 2026
Verb
  • Los Robles officials said that staff, patients and visitors were safe and that medical care was not interrupted at the hospital.
    Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
  • The match was briefly interrupted in the 32nd minute when at least three pitch invaders made their way onto the field, forcing officials to stop play while security responded.
    Dan Zaksheske, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026
Verb
  • Gonzalez, robbed of a potential first-inning homer when Adell made a leaping catch of his drive above the wall in right, followed with a towering 368-foot fly that cleared the short left-field wall for his first homer of the season and a 7-1 lead.
    ABC News, ABC News, 5 July 2026
  • Gonzalez, robbed of a potential first-inning homer when Adell made a leaping catch of his drive above the wall in right, followed with a towering, 368-foot fly that cleared the short left-field wall for his first homer of the season and a 7-1 lead.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
Verb
  • Both compartments run the full width of the unit versus being cut in half(ish) vertically in a side-by-side.
    Amy Panos, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 July 2026
  • But funding from the city and county was recently cut in half, said the center’s chief executive, Amy Turk.
    Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 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 7 Jul. 2026.

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