break-in
noun
an illegal entry into a home, car, office, etc.
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break-in
American
[breyk-in]
/ ˈbreɪkˌɪn /
break in
British
verb
-
(sometimes foll by on) to interrupt
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(intr) to enter a house, etc, illegally, esp by force
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(tr) to accustom (a person or animal) to normal duties or practice
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(tr) to use or wear (shoes, new equipment, etc) until comfortable or running smoothly
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(tr) to bring (new land) under cultivation
noun
break in
Idioms
-
Enter by force, as in The thieves broke in through the back door . [Mid-1500s] Also see break into .
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Also, break in on . Interrupt or disturb something unexpectedly, as in His assistant broke in with the bad news just as we were ready to sign the agreement , or He broke in on our private talks . [Mid-1600s]
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Train or instruct someone in a new job or enterprise, as in Every semester she had to break in a new teaching assistant . [Late 1700s]
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Loosen or soften with use, as in It takes a while to break in a pair of new shoes .
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of break-in
First recorded in 1855–60; noun use of verb phrase break in
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.
See Examples For:
The break-in at Simply Fish & Chips happened at about 02:00 BST on Saturday morning.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
The break-in happened before that, and the activists were charged in relation to damage to property.
From BBC ● May 28, 2026
David Solomon, a 46-year-old who works in real estate, said he became invested in the mayoral race after break-in attempts at his home in Santa Monica Canyon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
“That break-in period gives them enough time to test the shoes themselves.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 11, 2026
My own affairs have been pushed to the background by...a break-in.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
The test gives the AI software that has a known bug in it, shows it how to trigger the bug and invites the AI to break in.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Burglars tried to break in to the Barcelona home of Spain star Lamine Yamal on Wednesday, shortly after he helped La Roja reach their second World Cup final, police and media said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
“I’m telling clients this is the best summer-camp tax break in years, and most of them don’t know it exists yet,” said Jeff Judge, managing partner at Chesapeake Financial Planners in Forest Hill, Md.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026
While they have been welcomed by some national team bosses, the fans seem less keen and both England and Croatia supporters united in the air-conditioned Dallas Stadium to jeer the break in play on Wednesday.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
I look for the break in the pattern, the nail that protrudes.
From "Warcross" by Marie Lu
State officials dispute that, saying bears are euthanized only in extreme circumstances such as after they’ve hurt someone or committed repeated break-ins.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
In Madrid, Karim Benzema, Rodrygo and Dani Carvajal are among the football stars to have suffered break-ins at their homes in recent years.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
Flock CEO Garrett Langley, an electrical engineer, co-founded the company after a series of break-ins in his Atlanta neighborhood.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
After her announcement, there were two more break-ins in the area.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 20, 2026
“You haven’t heard anything about break-ins, have you? Are kids involved?”
From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor
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.
