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
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
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2025
The label covers pickpocketing, purse snatching and car break-ins.
—Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 7 May 2025
Dior’s high jewelry campaign is set to break in May on the brand’s website, social media channels as well as print and digital media globally.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break-in
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Noun
The Watergate break-in is in the news and the FBI is still trying to find its footing after the recent death of J. Edgar Hoover.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2025
The label covers pickpocketing, purse snatching and car break-ins.
—Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
Verb
The weather service said there will be a break in storm activity later in the morning, but by mid- to late afternoon, another wave of showers and thunderstorms is expected to push through.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 7 May 2025
Dior’s high jewelry campaign is set to break in May on the brand’s website, social media channels as well as print and digital media globally.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break-in
Cite this Entry
“Break-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/break-in. Accessed 18 May. 2025.
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