1
: the act or action of breaking in
a rash of break-ins at the new apartment house
2
: a performance or a series of performances serving as a trial run
3
: an initial period of operation during which working parts begin to function efficiently
broke in; broken in; breaking in; breaks in
1
: to enter something (such as a building or computer system) without consent or by force
2
a
: intrude
break in upon his privacy
b
: to interrupt a conversation
3
: to start in an activity or enterprise
breaking in as a cub reporter
1
: to accustom to a certain activity or occurrence
break in the new clerk
2
: to overcome the stiffness or newness of
break in a pair of shoes
Synonyms
Examples of break-in in a Sentence
Verb
the burglars broke in by smashing a window
he rudely broke in to drop the names of several celebrities that he had met
Recent Examples on the Web
Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
Dead, too, would be the wanted man, Terry Clark Hughes Jr., whose criminal history showed an escalation from a break-in to drug charges to firearms.
—Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 2 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for break-in 
Noun
Crime is a ballot ‘vulnerability’ for California Democrats after Schiff, Bass break-ins.
—Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
Dead, too, would be the wanted man, Terry Clark Hughes Jr., whose criminal history showed an escalation from a break-in to drug charges to firearms.
—Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 2 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for break-in
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'break-in.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near break-in
Cite this Entry
“Break-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/break-in. Accessed 6 May. 2024.
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