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.
Ulster back row Timoney, 31, previously struggled to regularly break into the side despite strong form for his province, but selection against Argentina means he will be involved in his ninth consecutive Test.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
“Quite a few films from a strong Cannes, such as ‘In Waves,’ ‘Iron Boy’ and ‘Tangles,’ will aim to break into this category,” predicts Robert Daniels.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
PHP -- a name that originally stood for Personal Home Page -- underpins popular web design platforms, meaning the flaws could allow hackers to break into various sites, from online stores to government services.
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026
After the 2008 financial crisis, a dearth of new home construction made affordability a significant challenge for many people trying to break into homeownership.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
A monkey literally went out of its way to break into Autumn’s basement and steal Grandma’s dashiki—another L, packaged and hand-delivered straight to me with same-day shipping.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
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