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
Megan Schaltegger, People.com, 1 Dec. 2024
The burglary took place in 2021 and he was convicted for the break-in three months after the Brooklyn hit-and-run.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 29 Nov. 2024
Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 9 Dec. 2024
From the producers of John Wick, which should surprise no one, Violent Night stars David Harbour as a particularly murderous Santa Claus defending an estate against a team of thieving mercenaries who break in, take the family hostage, and slay the house staff on Christmas Eve.
—Brooke Knisley, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for break-in 
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Noun
The faux leather looks genuine and feels buttery soft, and the shoes had zero break-in period.
—Megan Schaltegger, People.com, 1 Dec. 2024
The burglary took place in 2021 and he was convicted for the break-in three months after the Brooklyn hit-and-run.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 29 Nov. 2024
Verb
Kitchen Moving Boxes $55 at Amazon Moving delicate glassware is tedious, so Ayoub recommends stocking up on dedicated kitchen moving boxes to keep your fragile items from breaking in transit.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 9 Dec. 2024
From the producers of John Wick, which should surprise no one, Violent Night stars David Harbour as a particularly murderous Santa Claus defending an estate against a team of thieving mercenaries who break in, take the family hostage, and slay the house staff on Christmas Eve.
—Brooke Knisley, Vulture, 6 Dec. 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 16 Dec. 2024.
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