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
Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 19 Feb. 2025
Editors’ Picks Dogs were not used during the September break-in.
—Tim Balk, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025
Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 10 Feb. 2025
Neil was not on the plane, but TMZ reported his girlfriend Rain Hannah had several ribs broken in the collision.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 10 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for break-in 
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Noun
The men were tied to break-ins at the homes of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs, Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals and Bobby Portis of the Milwaukee Bucks, the Justice Department said.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 19 Feb. 2025
Editors’ Picks Dogs were not used during the September break-in.
—Tim Balk, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025
Verb
Hennessey added that Johansen suffered a fall the day after Thanksgiving, resulting in a back broken in two places, which landed him in the hospital for a week.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 10 Feb. 2025
Neil was not on the plane, but TMZ reported his girlfriend Rain Hannah had several ribs broken in the collision.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 10 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for break-in
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 22 Feb. 2025.
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