breaking and entering

American  

noun

Criminal Law.

1. forcible entry into the home or office of another.

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breaking and entering British  

noun

1. (formerly) the gaining of unauthorized access to a building with intent to commit a crime or, having committed the crime, the breaking out of the building

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Etymology

Origin of breaking and entering

First recorded in 1790–1800

Example Sentences

Now, after breaking and entering the dwarfs’ home, Zegler doesn’t spend this iteration of “Whistle While You Work” tidying up with birds, squirrels and bunnies — she makes the men scrub their own damned floors.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2025

Squatting is legal is Australia, but laws prohibiting breaking and entering or trespass - remaining on private property when instructed to leave - still apply.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2024

Burglaries and breaking and entering cases are up nearly 20 percent over last year, according to Atlanta police statistics.

From New York Times • Sep. 12, 2022

Doubling of concepts is also common: null and void, breaking and entering, pain and suffering, legal and binding.

From Textbooks • Dec. 21, 2021

If I want to use Real's service to download music to my own device, where's the breaking and entering?

From The Public Domain Enclosing the Commons of the Mind by Boyle, James