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
Raven Brunner, People.com, 31 Dec. 2024
Chief Scott said the department also made car break-ins a focus.
—Isabelle Taft, New York Times, 30 Dec. 2024
Sarah D. Wire, USA TODAY, 4 Jan. 2025
Margot Populaire provided the creative direction for the campaign, which will break in print on Thursday.
—Joelle Diderich, WWD, 2 Jan. 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
Joe Burrow, Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes also experienced break-ins this year.
—Raven Brunner, People.com, 31 Dec. 2024
Chief Scott said the department also made car break-ins a focus.
—Isabelle Taft, New York Times, 30 Dec. 2024
Verb
Mob reaches the House Speaker's lobby San Diego Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt begins crawling through a hole rioters have broken in the glass of a door barricaded with antique furniture.
—Sarah D. Wire, USA TODAY, 4 Jan. 2025
Margot Populaire provided the creative direction for the campaign, which will break in print on Thursday.
—Joelle Diderich, WWD, 2 Jan. 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 11 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share