breaking and entering

American

noun

Criminal Law.

forcible entry into the home or office of another.

breaking and entering British

noun

(formerly) the gaining of unauthorized access to a building with intent to commit a crime or, having committed the crime, the breaking out of the building

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of breaking and entering

First recorded in 1790–1800

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Now, after breaking and entering the dwarfs’ home, Zegler doesn’t spend this iteration of “Whistle While You Work” tidying up with birds, squirrels and bunnies — she makes the men scrub their own damned floors.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2025

Squatting is legal is Australia, but laws prohibiting breaking and entering or trespass - remaining on private property when instructed to leave - still apply.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2024

Mr. Otieno was taken into custody on March 3 by Henrico County police, who were responding to a report of breaking and entering from a neighbor.

From New York Times • Mar. 23, 2023

She gently scolded them for breaking and entering.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 16, 2022

Like Apple in the press release I quoted earlier, Lexmark clearly saw this as a kind of digital breaking and entering.

From The Public Domain Enclosing the Commons of the Mind by Boyle, James

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023