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.
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
Through another, it’s a perplexing time to break into the existing-home sale market.
From Barron's • Jun. 17, 2026
When she greeted Obinze’s mother with a “Good afternoon, ma,” she almost expected her, in response, to break into song in a voice as peerless as Onyeka Onwenu’s.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
