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• break-in
  break-in

  noun

  an illegal entry into a home, car, office, etc.
• break in
  break in

  verb

  (sometimes foll by on) to interrupt

break-in

American  

[brayk-in] / ˈbreɪkˌɪn /

noun

• break-ins
  plural

1. an illegal entry into a home, car, office, etc.

2. break-in period.

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break in British  

verb

1. (sometimes foll by on) to interrupt

2. (intr) to enter a house, etc, illegally, esp by force

3. (tr) to accustom (a person or animal) to normal duties or practice

4. (tr) to use or wear (shoes, new equipment, etc) until comfortable or running smoothly

5. (tr) to bring (new land) under cultivation

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noun

1. 1. the illegal entering of a building, esp by thieves

   2. ( as modifier )

      the break-in plans

break in Idioms  

1. Enter by force, as in The thieves broke in through the back door . [Mid-1500s] Also see break into .

2. 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]

3. 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]

4. Loosen or soften with use, as in It takes a while to break in a pair of new shoes .

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• break-ins
  plural

Etymology

Origin of break-in

First recorded in 1855–60; noun use of verb phrase break in

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

break-in break in break-ins

The opposite of a guard dog: Golden retriever begs to play with intruder in San Diego break-in.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026

Then she saw the video of him pleading with the police when they first accused him of the break-in.

From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026

With break-in season officially over, the ranger station at Mineral King posted a sign advising visitors they no longer needed to tarp and asking them not to borrow any more from their stash.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

The woman alleged that the deputy falsified a break-in report just to visit her home, and he later pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges, according to a civil lawsuit and court records.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

Not just about Watergate, but about other jobs that could be traced back to the White House—most dangerously, the Ellsberg break-in.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

The 12-month average gain going into the September report was only about 45,000 jobs monthly, so the September figure fits a slow trend more than a break in the economy, he says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

There are transferable skills people can bring to the construction industry, which is good news for anyone who wants to break in.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026

In the two-week break in November, players may still get a short spell off while matches are more likely to be in-house affairs with teams made up of senior and under-21 players.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

But in old Dubai, where Iranian merchants are firmly established, they do not believe there will be a break in the ties forged over decades between the UAE's financial hub and southern Iran.

From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026

The sky to the southwest burns pink, and every so often there’s a break in the mist, leaving a stained-glass reflection on the surface of the lake.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

The house had been empty for some time and a number of break-ins eventually led to the downstairs windows being boarded up, which had not helped the atmosphere, Way said.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 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

Sacher, operations manager at the popular sports bar Barney’s Beanery, which he said suffered four or five overnight break-ins in 2020 and 2021.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

Brown said the dog was purchased and looked after by his security guards to help protect the house from break-ins, telling the jury: "I get a lot of stalker-type situations."

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

“Mr. Costello has been getting a lot of phone calls about a lot of different things. There’s the termite problem. And there have been break-ins over on his side of the development.”

From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor

Related Words

• burglary
• robbery