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
Phil Helsel, NBC News, 5 Nov. 2024
On Monday night, Phoenix police fatally shot a home break-in suspect around 10 p.m. in the area of 15th and Wier avenues.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
Becca Longmire, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024
Their lives outside the restaurant are of little consequence, with a break in the alley out back the only time for meaningful connection.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for break-in 
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Noun
Buildings on the campus have been boarded up, including the former administration building that burned Monday, and there has been a history of break-ins and fires on campus, Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon said at the scene.
—Phil Helsel, NBC News, 5 Nov. 2024
On Monday night, Phoenix police fatally shot a home break-in suspect around 10 p.m. in the area of 15th and Wier avenues.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
The movie starred actors including Dev Patel, who got his big break in Hollywood with the film after previously starring in the British TV show Skins from 2007-2008, and Freida Pinto, as well as Anil Kapoor and Saurabh Shukla.
—Becca Longmire, People.com, 1 Nov. 2024
Their lives outside the restaurant are of little consequence, with a break in the alley out back the only time for meaningful connection.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024
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 15 Nov. 2024.
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