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housebreaking
noun
house·break·ing
ˈhau̇s-ˌbrā-kiŋ
: an act of breaking open and entering the dwelling house of another with a felonious purpose
Examples of housebreaking in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The three inmates were also charged with escaping lawful custody, housebreaking, robbery, and two counts of kidnapping.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 8 Mar. 2024
Last week, the suspects were returned to Grenada, where they were all charged with two counts of capital murder, escaping lawful custody, housebreaking, robbery and two counts of kidnapping.
—Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 15 Mar. 2024
Ron Mitchell, a 30-year-old sailor; Atiba Stanislaus, a 25-year-old farmer; and Trevon Robertson, a 23-year-old unemployed man, were charged with capital murder, escaping lawful custody, housebreaking, robbery and kidnapping.
—CBS News, 8 Mar. 2024
The three suspects have also been charged with escaping lawful custody, housebreaking, robbery and kidnapping.
—Michael Rios, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024
Sometimes armed with rifles, the settlers intermittently engage in housebreaking, sheep stealing and vandalism.
—Steven Erlanger Sergey Ponomarev, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2024
Many people need help troubleshooting issues such as housebreaking or leash-walking difficulties.
—NBC News, 14 Feb. 2022
Zandile Christmas Mafe, 49, who liked to talk politics with friends, was charged on Tuesday with arson, theft, housebreaking and possession of explosives.
—New York Times, 4 Jan. 2022
The man is expected to appear in court Tuesday to face charges of arson, housebreaking, and theft, a police spokesperson said.
—Harold Maass, The Week, 3 Jan. 2022
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Word History
First Known Use
1607, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near housebreaking
Cite this Entry
“Housebreaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/housebreaking. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
Legal Definition
housebreaking
noun
house·break·ing
ˈhau̇s-ˌbrā-kiŋ
: the act of breaking into and entering the dwelling house of another for the purpose of committing a felony
housebreaker
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on housebreaking
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for housebreaking
Nglish: Translation of housebreaking for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about housebreaking
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