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
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Recent Examples of broken in
West was in a car accident after leaving a recording studio in 2002, which left his jaw broken in three places.
—
Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 26 Jan. 2026
The price of gold now sits over $5,000 per ounce, the latest in a string of price records broken in recent years.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 26 Jan. 2026
Their leather shaft molds to your ankle once they’re broken in, too.
—Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025
The downtrend that extended from the March highs was just broken in late September — something has changed.
—Jay Woods, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025
One of the miracles of the fire is that the cedars did survive, mostly intact except for a few limbs that were broken in the fierce winds.
—Tribune News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Oct. 2025
Chris talks about being broken in every possible way a person can be.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2025
Louisville’s equipment staff arrives with 10-12 balls broken in and ready for game use, as well as a host of other balls used in pregame that aren’t for game use.
—David Ubben, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Davidson said Cline had surgery to repair her jaw which was broken in three places and was discharged from the hospital a couple of days ago and is recovering at her home in Kentucky.
—Craig Shoup, Nashville Tennessean, 26 Sep. 2025
Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 26 Jan. 2026
The price of gold now sits over $5,000 per ounce, the latest in a string of price records broken in recent years.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 26 Jan. 2026
Their leather shaft molds to your ankle once they’re broken in, too.
—Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025
The downtrend that extended from the March highs was just broken in late September — something has changed.
—Jay Woods, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025
One of the miracles of the fire is that the cedars did survive, mostly intact except for a few limbs that were broken in the fierce winds.
—Tribune News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Oct. 2025
Chris talks about being broken in every possible way a person can be.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2025
Louisville’s equipment staff arrives with 10-12 balls broken in and ready for game use, as well as a host of other balls used in pregame that aren’t for game use.
—David Ubben, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
Davidson said Cline had surgery to repair her jaw which was broken in three places and was discharged from the hospital a couple of days ago and is recovering at her home in Kentucky.
—Craig Shoup, Nashville Tennessean, 26 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broken in
Verb
-
Russia invaded Ukraine four years ago this month.—
Bradley Gitz,
Arkansas Online,
16 Feb. 2026
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Peppers are prone to being invaded by aphids, spider mites, and other pests until rosemary plants come and save the day.—
Ashlyn Needham,
The Spruce,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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When that process is interrupted, consequences follow.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Feb. 2026
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The ceremony was projected onto building walls, and the drag queen Pabllo Vittar interrupted his concert to show Salles’s acceptance speech.—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The victory was controversial; many onlookers thought the judges had robbed the Americans.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
21 Feb. 2026
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Olympic freestyle skier Eileen Gu revealed she was physically assaulted, robbed and received death threats at Stanford University after her 2019 decision to represent China instead of the United States.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Montgomery was among the players working on fundamentals such as secondary leads on the bases before taking a few cuts in the cages.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
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Holes can be cut in the fabric to insert garden plants, and optionally the fabric can be covered with mulch to hide it.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Broken in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken%20in. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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