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
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
Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
License plate readers placed her husband’s pickup truck near the home just before the break-in.
—Charlotte Observer, 1 May 2026
James Pearce, New York Times, 4 May 2026
After an unanticipated five-week break in the season, Formula One resumed action this past weekend in Miami.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for break-in
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Noun
The filing, citing cellphone data, further alleges that the night before the break-in, Isaiah Dukes and Khiell Dukes were in the area of the victim’s home.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
License plate readers placed her husband’s pickup truck near the home just before the break-in.
—Charlotte Observer, 1 May 2026
Verb
A lot of the players went on city breaks in Europe at the start of last week before returning to Merseyside ahead of Sunday’s 3-2 defeat to Manchester United.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 4 May 2026
After an unanticipated five-week break in the season, Formula One resumed action this past weekend in Miami.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for break-in
Cite this Entry
“Break-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/break-in. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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