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
Bruce J. Schulman / Made By History, TIME, 8 Aug. 2024
Police are looking to identify three males in connection with several break-ins at a self-storage facility early Wednesday.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2024
Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 14 Aug. 2024
The 41-room Laguna Surf Lodge by SCP Hotels is the area’s newest intimate hideaway located on the Thalia Street surf break in the heart of the bubbly village.
—Elycia Rubin, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for break-in 
Noun
The Senate Watergate Committee, organized to investigate the Watergate break-in and the role of President Nixon in its occurrence and subsequent cover-up, sits in the Caucus Room in the Russell Senate Office Building during the hearings, Washington, DC, circa 1973.
—Bruce J. Schulman / Made By History, TIME, 8 Aug. 2024
Police are looking to identify three males in connection with several break-ins at a self-storage facility early Wednesday.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2024
Verb
The new route connects Malpensa (MXP) and Malé (MLE), with a 45-minute refueling break in Dubai in between.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 14 Aug. 2024
The 41-room Laguna Surf Lodge by SCP Hotels is the area’s newest intimate hideaway located on the Thalia Street surf break in the heart of the bubbly village.
—Elycia Rubin, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for break-in
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'break-in.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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 19 Aug. 2024.
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