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
Relevance
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
By the time the plane crashed, in a forest at thirty-five hundred feet, its fuselage had broken in two and a trail of debris ten miles long stretched behind it.
—
Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
If the climate were stable, half of all temperature records broken in a year would be record hot, half would be record cold, similar to back in 1960.
—Zoe Mintz, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2026
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
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
Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
If the climate were stable, half of all temperature records broken in a year would be record hot, half would be record cold, similar to back in 1960.
—Zoe Mintz, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broken in
Verb
-
Ukraine has acquired deep knowlege of drone warfare since Russia invaded in 2022.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The Iran war briefly drove oil to $118 a barrel, the highest price since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
At this point, the judge interrupted and suggested that Sharp meet with her attorney before testifying further.—
Kelsy Mittauer,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The journey is hampered by lack of money and other misfortunes, and it’s eventually interrupted by a gunshot, announcing the cantankerous presence of Tiga.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In Oakland, he’s charged with murder under the provocative act theory, with prosecutors alleging he and his cousin, Roosevelt Jones, robbed a man who fought back and killed Jones lawfully.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
7 Mar. 2026
-
The Sacramento County District Attorney's Office said the jury also found true that Brasser robbed Starzynski.—
Richard Ramos,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, output cuts in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates highlight the growing supply strain after the closure of Hormuz.—
Marcus Wong,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The district’s last remaining middle school bus routes were cut in 2020 due to declining ridership.—
Encinitas Advocate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Broken in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken%20in. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
