break into
Britishverb
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to enter (a house, etc) illegally, esp by force
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to change abruptly from a slower to a faster speed
the horse broke into a gallop
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to consume (supplies held in reserve)
at the end of the exercise the soldiers had to break into their iron rations
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Make a forcible entry into, as in The alarm went off as soon as they tried to break into the house . [1300s] Also see break in , def. 1.
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Interrupt, as in I couldn't help but break into your conversation . [Mid-1600s]
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Suddenly begin some activity, as in Without warning she broke into tears . Also see under burst into .
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Enter or be admitted to an occupation or profession, as in Without connections it is virtually impossible to break into acting . [Late 1800s]
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.
While creators break into the mainstream, their representatives say traditional companies are growing more comfortable betting on digital stars.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
It is a spiritual sequel to the 2014 device of the same name, which failed to break into a market dominated by the three big gaming giants of Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
Watching Graham break into tears and whisper, “You really scared me,” is one of the most vulnerable moments I’ve witnessed in the last six months.
From Salon ● Jun. 20, 2026
They frequently break into so-called joint combat readiness patrols—periods of heightened activity when they push inward by a few miles in a choreographed tactic some security officials call “bumping the boundary.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026
We break into our groups and head upstairs and into a bedroom.
From "Fish in a Tree" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
