broken in

verb

past participle 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 broken in Despite being broken in the first game and falling down 3-1, Williams eventually forced a tiebreak. — Dan Zaksheske, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026 While his Emmy streak was broken in 2024 by The Traitors‘ Alan Cumming, RuPaul’s success goes beyond awards season. — Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 21 June 2026 Ground was broken in Arlington Heights at the site of the new horse racing track, then known as Arlington Park, which was expected to cost $2 million to complete. — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2026 In his right leg, Adin's tibia bone was broken in half and protruded through the skin. — Lexi Lane, PEOPLE, 7 June 2026 My right leg was broken in three places which required surgical repair and a permanent titanium rod implanted along my tibia bone. — Michael Miller, New York Daily News, 22 May 2026 Samuelsson’s stick had broken in front of his own net and Arvidsson pounced. — Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 24 Apr. 2026 Indoors, opt for light traps, sticky traps, and bug catchers that can capture those who have broken in. — Alora Bopray, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026 On Friday, March 20, daily temperature records were broken in Downtown Los Angeles, where a temperature of 96 degrees was recorded, breaking a record of 93 from 1997. — Sierra Van Der Brug, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broken in
  1. invaded
  2. interrupted
  3. robbed
  4. cut in
Verb
  • Many invasive plants have invaded natural areas from gardens.
    — Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
  • None of Argentina’s players had been born when the country’s military dictatorship invaded the Malvinas in 1982, holding the islands for 73 days before British forces recaptured them in a war that killed 649 Argentine and 255 British troops.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 July 2026
Definition of invaded
Verb
  • But then they’re interrupted by Wil Wheaton, who’s a wizard in this universe.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Drones have interrupted firefighters in the past, including in the Palisades Fire last year.
    — Morgan Chesky, NBC news, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of interrupted
Verb
  • Between Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, the Musée du Président Jacques Chirac in the central French town of Sarran was robbed for the third time in less than a year, a French public prosecutor told local media outlet Ici Limousin.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The hypothesis was that one of the men — linked to organized crime groups that robbed wealthy homes — attempted to rob the Percy home and Valerie had woken up.
    — Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of robbed
Verb
  • After the Federal Reserve issued three rate cuts in the final four months of 2025 – which followed the same pattern from 2024 – many expected the rate climate to continue to cool into 2026.
    — Matt Richardson, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Although the district reported substantial cuts in its third interim budget report, many of the improvements came from one-time savings, and the district was still projected to remain in the red.
    — Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of cut in

Browse Nearby Words

brokenhearted
broken in
broken off
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Broken in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken%20in. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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