break into
Britishverb
-
to enter (a house, etc) illegally, esp by force
-
to change abruptly from a slower to a faster speed
the horse broke into a gallop
-
to consume (supplies held in reserve)
at the end of the exercise the soldiers had to break into their iron rations
-
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.
-
Interrupt, as in I couldn't help but break into your conversation . [Mid-1600s]
-
Suddenly begin some activity, as in Without warning she broke into tears . Also see under burst into .
-
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.
Steve, I think it’s more like we both had this rich neighbor named Xerox and I broke into his house to steal the TV set and found out that you had already stolen it.
From Los Angeles Times
Hubble observed K1 breaking into at least four separate fragments, each surrounded by its own coma, the cloud of gas and dust that forms around a comet's icy core.
From Science Daily
“Two, three, four,” Cummins counted down, and her eager little ensemble broke into song: “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.”
From Los Angeles Times
The Unauthorised Entry to Football Matches Act follows Baroness Casey's findings that sanctions on breaking into stadiums were weak, and that tailgating should become a criminal offence.
From BBC
They take too long to make decisions and usually break into competing factions.
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.
