How to Use break-in in a Sentence

break-in

1 of 2 noun
  • The more leather in your boot, the longer the break-in period.
    Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 22 Mar. 2023
  • Reeves’ home was also the scene of back-to-back break-ins in 2014.
    Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2023
  • The break-in occurred in a guest house next to the couple’s main home, the sources said.
    Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2024
  • But this break-in was a bust, cops said, saying the crew fled the scene in the getaway car.
    Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 12 Dec. 2024
  • In the statement, the victim wrote that one of her young children was home at the time of the break-in.
    City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Aug. 2023
  • Nixon had nothing to do with the break-in and knew nothing about it.
    Teri Sforza, Orange County Register, 12 Mar. 2025
  • No one was home at the time of the break-in, according to the Detroit Free Press.
    Kc Baker, Peoplemag, 12 May 2023
  • That said, the shoes do run true to size even with the longer break-in period.
    Anna Popp, Travel + Leisure, 27 Apr. 2023
  • The fire station door was boarded up after the break-in.
    Nollyanne Delacruz, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024
  • Watch Cavallari tell the full break-in story above, at around the 24-minute mark.
    Shania Russell, EW.com, 18 Dec. 2024
  • Plus, these are comfortable right out of the box and require no break-in time.
    Hillary Maglin, Travel + Leisure, 2 Mar. 2023
  • The shoes were comfortable and required no break-in time.
    Avery Stone, People.com, 11 Oct. 2024
  • Police said on Thursday that have not made any arrests in the break-ins.
    Olivia Diaz, Washington Post, 17 Feb. 2024
  • What was stole and the value of loss resulting from the break-in was not clear Tuesday.
    Vivian Kwarm, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2024
  • The majority of the break-ins occurred near the 1200 block of Ebener Street.
    Jordan Parker, San Francisco Chronicle, 25 Mar. 2023
  • The break-in is what brought the Sultan out to the desert this December afternoon.
    Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2025
  • However, latex can be too firm for some and can take a few weeks to break-in.
    Jack Byram, Health, 20 Apr. 2023
  • There was a break-in at his home in late 2023 that left him and his family shaken.
    Oliver Kay, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
  • The burglary took place in 2021 and he was convicted for the break-in three months after the Brooklyn hit-and-run.
    Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 29 Nov. 2024
  • Then there’s a break-in, and everyone assumes they’ve been stolen.
    Michael Gorra, BostonGlobe.com, 27 July 2023
  • Police have said there’s no evidence of a break-in or foul play.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2025
  • In the two most recent cases, the victims were home during the break-ins, Sharki said.
    Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Mar. 2023
  • The burglary call was the third break-in that morning at the business on the 400 block of Embarcadero, near 5th Avenue.
    Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2024
  • Guests are expected to park on the street (where there are plenty of spots but issues with break-ins).
    Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024
  • These were comfortable right out of the box with no break-in period.
    Barbara Bellesi Zito, Peoplemag, 14 May 2024
  • The faux leather looks genuine and feels buttery soft, and the shoes had zero break-in period.
    Megan Schaltegger, People.com, 1 Dec. 2024
  • The answer, if anybody is curious, is the small cadre of Cubans arrested in the break-in.
    Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Apr. 2023
  • The May incident in May was not the first time the resident encountered a bear break-in.
    Hannah Poukish, Sacramento Bee, 28 June 2024
  • One staff member admitted her first thought, after there had been a break-in, was that someone might have snatched the museum’s lock of Churchill’s childhood hair.
    The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 20 Mar. 2025
  • The man who attempted the break-in ran to another man across the street and one of them fired at the fleeing vehicle, wounding the driver, authorities said.
    Harry Harris, The Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2025

break in

2 of 2 verb
  • At some point along the way, the giant broke in two at the knees.
    Daniel T. Ksepka, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2023
  • Thursday will bring a break in rain and highs in the 70s.
    Bianca Moreno-Paz, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
  • During a break in the game, William and Kate stood up to chat with the teen.
    Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 30 Nov. 2022
  • Sinner overcame a break in the first game of the match to take the first set in a tiebreak.
    Adam Zagoria, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
  • Jethro Tull’s Stand Up breaks in at No. 68 on that list.
    Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2024
  • With all of that in mind, a restful break in Japan might be just what the rest of the world needs.
    Ashley Ogawa Clarke, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2022
  • The Tar Heels led 42-29 at the break in their second-round matchup in the East Region.
    Usa Today Sports, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2022
  • One of them is seen in the footage, running up to a guard post and breaking in.
    Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2023
  • Miller played nine years in the NBA, breaking in with the Suns as a rookie in 1992.
    Doug Haller, The Athletic, 13 Mar. 2025
  • Look on the north side at the break in the anodized detailing.
    Shelby Slade, The Arizona Republic, 12 Aug. 2024
  • Choi said the suspect jumped over a fence and broke in through the back of the residence.
    David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2024
  • Someone soon kicked their garage door down to break in.
    Paighten Harkins, The Salt Lake Tribune, 10 May 2022
  • So that means that a protest is not the time to try out a new pair of pants or break in a new set of shoes.
    Abby Dupes, Seventeen, 27 June 2022
  • But there was one clue that would give police their first big break in the case.
    CBS News, 23 Apr. 2022
  • Since then, the years have ticked by for Emken’s family with no break in the case.
    Spencer Norris, Sun Sentinel, 4 Sep. 2022
  • Aram and Park break in to save him with Aram pushing the woman off him.
    Laura Sirikul, EW.com, 26 Mar. 2022
  • Then a rain delay came, but a break in the weather gave Hays one more chance.
    Andy Kostka, Baltimore Sun, 22 June 2022
  • The bacteria can enter the body if inhaled, through the eyes, or through a break in the skin.
    Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2022
  • The petition states that Gonzalez broke in through the back door of the house.
    Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 23 May 2024
  • There would be a break in the NFL owners meetings and all the men would run, there would be a line for the men’s room.
    Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2022
  • What to Consider The leather outer will take a few wears to break in.
    Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 19 Sep. 2023
  • Keep in mind: Mats need to be broken in and get better with use.
    Good Housekeeping, 28 Mar. 2023
  • Witnesses told said the suspect broke in, stole the forklift and rammed through the gates.
    Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 2 July 2023
  • Models' feet got a break in the flip-flops Kors sent down the runway.
    Alex Apatoff, Peoplemag, 10 Sep. 2022
  • But the dam breaks in the third episode and the rest of the series suffers from a serious case of biopic-itis.
    Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Jan. 2024
  • When everything looks grim, the slightest break in the clouds looks like a new day.
    James MacKintosh, WSJ, 31 July 2022
  • With a slight break in the last week or two, the wildfires in the region have started to pick up again, White said.
    Timothy Fanning, San Antonio Express-News, 17 June 2022
  • News of the pair’s romance broke in summer 2021 when they were filmed making out in a car.
    Alyssa Bailey, ELLE, 24 Mar. 2023
  • Some symptoms of the disease might include a lump in the arm, leg, chest or pelvis, or a break in a bone.
    Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2024
  • Young players are more likely to join clubs with a clear route to the first team — and players stay there after breaking in.
    Liam Tharme, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025

Some of 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.

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