break in1
1Force entry to a building: would-be thieves had smashed the door lock in an attempt to break in...
- The thieves broke in by forcing a casement window in the dining room before ransacking the house.
- When no one answered, they broke in and searched the building, only to find a watchman sleeping at his post.
- They broke in by forcing a lock on a door and then made off in a stolen car.
Synonyms
commit burglary, break and enter;
force one's way in, burst in
British archaic crack a crib
2 [with direct speech] Interject: ‘I don’t want to interfere,’ Mrs Hendry broke in the doctor’s voice broke in on her thoughts...
- ‘We know that,’ broke in Chris.
- The publicist, sitting between us in the back seat, broke in, ‘A friend of mine is the U. S. ambassador to France.’
- ‘So where are we going to go now?’ she broke in.
Synonyms
interrupt, butt in, cut in, interject, interpose, intervene, chime in;
interfere, put one's oar in, have one's say
British informal chip in
See parent entry: break
break-in2
/ˈbreɪkɪn
/noun
An illegal forced entry of a building or vehicle, typically to steal something: police are investigating a break-in at a house...
- This will no doubt prompt burglars to begin break-ins by stealing the security camera.
- Other country crime includes farm break-ins, theft from building sites and the theft of valuable horse tack from stables.
- The house was unoccupied at the time of the break-in and the burglars gained entry by forcing open the front door.
Synonyms
burglary, robbery, theft;
raid, breaking and entering, housebreaking, forced entry
informal smash-and-grab