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
Jenner Smith, ABC News, 14 Mar. 2025
Deputies were called at approximately 4:50 a.m. about a break-in and fire, authorities said in a news release.
—Tanasia Kenney, Miami Herald, 14 Mar. 2025
Jack Dunn, Variety, 20 Mar. 2025
Both flights carrying noncitizens took off from Valley International Airport in Texas during a break in an emergency court hearing about the legality of the deportations, and the flights were in the air when Judge Boasberg issued his final decision.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break-in
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.
Noun
Upon arriving at the home on the morning of Jan. 7, 2018, detectives from the Belgrade Police Department and the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office discovered signs of a break-in.
—Jenner Smith, ABC News, 14 Mar. 2025
Deputies were called at approximately 4:50 a.m. about a break-in and fire, authorities said in a news release.
—Tanasia Kenney, Miami Herald, 14 Mar. 2025
Verb
During a break in the interview, which featured Ben Stiller, Quinta Brunson and Nick Kroll, Bayer was introduced in a phony camera test as Netflix’s new AI helper.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 20 Mar. 2025
Both flights carrying noncitizens took off from Valley International Airport in Texas during a break in an emergency court hearing about the legality of the deportations, and the flights were in the air when Judge Boasberg issued his final decision.
—Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 17 Mar. 2025
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 24 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share