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
  • Russia had not staged a pavilion at the Venice Biennale since 2022, the year that the country invaded Ukraine.
    — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 13 July 2026
  • In October 1950, Chinese forces invaded and the ragtag Tibetan army was swiftly crushed.
    — Charlie Campbell, Time, 9 July 2026
Definition of invaded
Verb
  • Things take an even bigger turn when the trio is interrupted by the arrival of an ambulance to rush Walter patriarch George to the hospital amid a health scare.
    — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026
  • The jury in Leon County Circuit Court sat through three days of arguments and witness testimony this week that was consistently interrupted by chaos and controversy stemming from Basabe’s decision to represent himself without an attorney.
    — Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
Definition of interrupted
Verb
  • Alleging that the killing occurred as Royal robbed Watkins, the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office successfully sought from a grand jury an indictment charging Royal with capital murder.
    — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 July 2026
  • The New Evidence also devotes time to the defense theory that Laci encountered the burglars who robbed the home of across-the-street neighbors Rudy and Susan Medina.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 18 July 2026
Definition of robbed
Verb
  • The two programs most likely to keep someone fed and covered for psychiatric care were cut in the same bill, to the same population, at the same time.
    — Cole Hanson, STAT, 16 July 2026
  • Apparently, Lonnie hasn’t made a cut in seven years, a remarkable level of futility especially given that the show can’t even commit to suggesting that Lonnie’s game is spectacularly bad.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 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 19 Jul. 2026.

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