broken in

Definition of broken innext
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 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 Hypersonic missiles capable of flying well in excess of five times the speed of sound promise to revolutionize warfare and aviation in general in a manner not seen since the sound barrier was broken in 1947. New Atlas, 24 Sep. 2025 Having started reasonably well, her serve then started letting her down and she was broken in three straight service games to fall behind in the match. Ben Church, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broken in
Verb
  • Our country just invaded Venezuela and captured its president, who admittedly was a bad guy.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Jan. 2026
  • There’s no way Trump would have invaded Venezuela if that country didn’t have vast deposits of oil.
    Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 8 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Seven of the past 11 days of racing at the Vuelta were cut short or interrupted because Spain's government estimated more than 100,000 people were on the streets in Madrid during the final stage in September.
    Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Thousands of people working at overseas bases in Europe have had their salaries interrupted since the shutdown began almost six weeks ago.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The pandemic robbed the 2022 Games in Beijing of their luster.
    Marcus Thompson II, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Wiser heads, though, can see that the fraud also robbed funds from those who needed them the most and that rooting out fraud should not be a partisan issue.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Some sliver of the original concept survived through production, only to be cut in post-production.
    Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 6 Jan. 2026
  • Diggs recorded two of his three catches on first down, including his 34-yarder on a deep in-cut in the second half.
    Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 6 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Broken in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken%20in. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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