broken in

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 The downtrend that extended from the March highs was just broken in late September — something has changed. Jay Woods, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025 Over the years, he's developed a reputation for flying vintage airplanes, even after suffering a near-death plane crash that left his right ankle and pelvis shattered and his back broken in March 2015. Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 28 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
  • After Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990, Cheney coordinated with international allies and led planning for Operation Desert Storm.
    Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
  • In the final round of the game, Morgan’s new alliance invaded Annabelle’s group and took most of their resource points.
    Kaleb Demerew, The Conversation, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • His solitude is interrupted by the arrival of his brother Jem (Sean Bean), who is looking for a connection with his son Brian (Samuel Bottomley), and seeking Ray’s help.
    Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 31 Oct. 2025
  • The program serves just shy of 42 million Americans—although benefits are going to be interrupted in November due to a lack of appropriations stemming from the ongoing government shutdown.
    Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Illinois children should not be robbed of their innocence.
    Adam Crafton, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
  • At least four other French museums have been robbed in the last two months, according to media reports.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Kansas City Federal Reserve President Jeffrey Schmid on Friday said concern about future inflation led to his vote against this week’s quarter-point cut in the benchmark fed fund rate.
    Sean Conlon,Hugh Leask, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025
  • In the background, some analysts are now resigned to the notion that Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s remarks on Wednesday were gloomier than expected and that there may not be another interest rate cut in December.
    Jim Edwards, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Broken in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken%20in. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.

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