break in 1 of 2

1
as in to invade
to enter a house or building by force usually with illegal intent the burglars broke in by smashing a window

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2
as in to interrupt
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

break-in

2 of 2

noun

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 break-in
Verb
Less than 48 hours later — as the Chiefs were playing the New Orleans Saints at Arrowhead Stadium — a break-in occurred at Kelce's 17,000-square-foot home in Leawood, Kansas, according to a police report obtained by PEOPLE. Bailey Richards, People.com, 8 July 2025 The baseball players were on the road at the time of the break-ins, although Sherman was at home with his family. Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025
Noun
All experts suggested taking breaks in the shade or air-conditioning, especially if consuming alcohol. Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2025 News of Thompson’s infidelity broke in April 2018 during Kardashian’s final days of her pregnancy with her first baby, True. Liza Esquibias, People.com, 2 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for break-in
Recent Examples of Synonyms for break-in
Verb
  • Russia has suffered about a million casualties in its attempt to invade.
    Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 July 2025
  • The men’s national team has been invaded by foreigners.
    Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 14 July 2025
Verb
  • First came a relatively calm session of Indian progress interrupted on the stroke of the lunch interval by a brilliant piece of fielding from Stokes that had dangerman Rishabh Pant run out with a direct hit while trying to hurry his partner KL Rahul to a century.
    Paul Newman, New York Times, 12 July 2025
  • But she’s interrupted by a fire alarm: Charlie turned up the heat on a saucepan on the stove, starting a fire and alerting the authorities!
    Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 10 July 2025
Noun
  • The different neighborhood trends in violent crimes also extend to property crimes — like the number of burglaries staying relatively flat citywide but increasing by 38% in Capitol Hill, from 110 in 2023 to 152 in 2024.
    Katie Langford, Denver Post, 5 July 2025
  • He was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary.
    Sasha Pezenik, ABC News, 4 July 2025
Verb
  • Three years later, Armando Galarraga didn’t, robbed by a wrong call by first-base umpire Jim Joyce — who owned up to it almost immediately — in the days before instant replay.
    Ryan Ford, Freep.com, 11 July 2025
  • Menzies was convicted of the 1986 murder of 26-year-old Maurine Hunsaker, a married mother of three who was kidnapped, robbed, strangled, and found tied to a tree with her throat slit.
    Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 11 July 2025
Verb
  • New solar capacity will likely be cut in half compared to Biden policies as a result of the law, according to an analysis from Princeton University’s Repeat Project.
    Justin Worland, Time, 11 July 2025
  • Goldman Sachs currently anticipates three 25-basis-point cuts in September, October and December for a terminal rate of 3-3.25 percent.
    Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025
Noun
  • Patrick Agyemang got the start at striker and was able to provide good holdup play and off-ball movement, but struggled to threaten Costa Rica’s defense with scoring opportunities.
    Jeff Rueter, New York Times, 30 June 2025
  • To help travelers avoid traffic holdups, AAA teamed up with S&P Global Market Intelligence and put together a handy guide laying out the best and worst times to hit the road.
    Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 27 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Break-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/break-in. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.

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