Break in meaning
Break in means to get into a building by force, usually to steal things. It can also mean to interrupt when someone else is speaking.
break in
break in · broke · broken · breaking
Someone broke in while we were on holiday.
Break in meanings and examples
3 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
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1
Get into a building by force, usually to steal things
break in
- Someone broke in while we were on holiday.
- The thieves broke in through the kitchen window.
- Lock the back door, or someone could break in.
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2
Interrupt when someone else is speaking
break in
- “Sorry to break in,” she said, “but the taxi is here.”
- He kept breaking in with silly questions.
- I tried to tell my story, but my brother broke in.
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3
Wear new shoes for short times until they feel comfortable
break something in
- Break in your hiking boots before the long walk.
- These shoes hurt because I haven’t broken them in yet.
- Wear them around the house to break them in.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use break in in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is break in separable?
In its main meaning, break in has no object: Someone broke in last night. To name the building, use break into instead: They broke into the house.
The noun is break-in, with a hyphen: There was a break-in at the office. For new shoes the pattern is separable: break them in.
Verb tenses for break in
| Present | I break in · she breaks in |
|---|---|
| Past | broke in |
| Present perfect | have broken in |
| -ing form | breaking in |
Common mistakes with break in
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: Someone broke in our flat last night.
Right: Someone broke into our flat last night.
With the place after it, use break into.
Wrong: Our house was broken in last week.
Right: Our house was broken into last week.
The passive also needs into: was broken into.
Wrong: There was a breaking in at the shop.
Right: There was a break-in at the shop.
The noun is a break-in.
Synonyms and opposites of break in
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- break intothe same idea, but you name the place: break into a car
- burgleUK, enter a home and steal; US says burglarize
- cut ininterrupt someone, very close to break in
Opposite
- break outescape from a place by force
- lock uplock all the doors and windows so no one can get in
Break in quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1The police think the thieves ___ through the garage.
Break in means enter a building by force.
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2Choose the right sentence.
With the place as the subject, use the passive was broken into.
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3“My new boots hurt. I need to break them in.” What will the speaker do?
Break in shoes means wear them until they become comfortable.
More phrasal verbs with break
5 phrasal verbs start with break. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
Break in FAQ
Questions people ask about break in.
What is the difference between break in and break into?
Break in is used alone: Someone broke in. Break into needs the place after it: Someone broke into my car.
Is break-in a noun?
Yes. A break-in is the crime of entering a building by force: There have been three break-ins on our street this month.
What does break in mean for a new employee?
Informally, breaking someone in means training them in a new job: The first week is about breaking you in slowly.
Use break in in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.