break-in
Americanverb
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(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
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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 .
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.
Questions continue to swirl since the October 19 break-in over whether it was avoidable and why thieves were able to steal crown jewels worth more than $100 million.
From Barron's
A police spokesman likened the break-in to the Hollywood heist film Ocean's Eleven, telling AFP news agency it was "very professionally executed".
From BBC
The family of a former Irish rugby star whose international caps were stolen during a break-in almost forty years ago have appealed for their return.
From BBC
"Supposedly, this is the third break-in he's had," said Officer Samantha Martin.
From BBC
Four of the group are accused of playing roles in the break-in to an Israeli-linked defence firm in 2024 and are due to go on trial in May next year at the earliest.
From BBC
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.
