Adjacent Words

break in definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: enter someone's (virtual or real) property in an unauthorized manner, usually with the intent to steal or commit a violent act; "Someone broke in while I was on vacation"; "They broke into my car and stole my radio!"; "who broke into my account last night?" [syn: break in, break]
2: break into a conversation; "her husband always chimes in, even when he is not involved in the conversation" [syn: chime in, cut in, put in, butt in, chisel in, barge in, break in]
3: start in a certain activity, enterprise, or role
4: intrude on uninvited; "The nosy couple broke in on our conversation"
5: break so as to fall inward; "He broke in the door"
6: make submissive, obedient, or useful; "The horse was tough to break"; "I broke in the new intern" [syn: break in, break]

Merriam Webster's

verb Date: circa 1535 intransitive verb 1. to enter something (as a building or computer system) without consent or by force 2. a. intrude <break in upon his privacy> b. to interrupt a conversation 3. to start in an activity or enterprise <breaking in as a cub reporter> transitive verb 1. to accustom to a certain activity or occurrence <break in the new clerk> 2. to overcome the stiffness or newness of <break in a pair of shoes>

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

1. If someone, usually a thief, breaks in, they get into a building by force. Masked robbers broke in and made off with $8,000... PHRASAL VERB: V P see also break-in 2. If you break in on someone's conversation or activity, you interrupt them. O'Leary broke in on his thoughts... Mrs Southern listened keenly, occasionally breaking in with pertinent questions... 'She told you to stay here,' Mike broke in. = butt in PHRASAL VERB: V P on n, V P, V P with quote 3. If you break someone in, you get them used to a new job or situation. The band are breaking in a new backing vocalist. PHRASAL VERB: V P n (not pron), also V n P 4. If you break in something new, you gradually use or wear it for longer and longer periods until it is ready to be used or worn all the time. When breaking in an engine, you probably should refrain from high speed for the first thousand miles... PHRASAL VERB: V P n (not pron), also V n P

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

1. Make an irruption. 2. Intrude one's self, take up the discourse begin to speak, interrupt.

Moby Thesaurus

acclimate, acclimatize, accommodate, accustom, adapt, adjust, admit, apprentice, barge in, be admitted, breach, break, break in upon, break into, break open, break through, break to harness, breaking and entering, breed, breeze in, bring up, burglarizing, burglary, burst in, bust, bust in, butt in, case harden, cave in, charge in, chime in, chip in, come barging in, come between, come breezing in, come busting in, come in, condition, confirm, crash, crash in, crash the gates, creep in, cross the threshold, crowd in, cultivate, cut in, develop, discipline, domesticate, domesticize, drill, drop in, edge in, elbow in, encroach, enter, entrench, establish, exercise, familiarize, fetch up, fit, fix, foist in, force open, form, foster, gain admittance, gentle, get going, get in, get in there, get off, get squared away, get under way, go in, go into, groom, habituate, harden, have an entree, have an in, hop in, horn in, house-train, housebreak, housebreaking, impinge, impose, impose on, impose upon, improve, infiltrate, infringe, insert, insinuate, interfere, interlope, interpose, interrupt, intervene, intrude, inure, invade, irrupt, jam in, jump in, lick into shape, look in, make a beginning, make a move, naturalize, nurse, nurture, obtrude, orient, orientate, pack in, pop in, practice, prepare, press in, prize open, push in, put in, put in tune, put on, put to school, put upon, raise, ready, rear, rehearse, rupture, rush in, safeblowing, safebreaking, safecracking, season, send to school, set a course, set foot in, slink in, slip in, smash in, sneak in, split open, squeeze in, start up, steal in, step in, storm in, stove in, take in, take in hand, tame, tear open, throng in, thrust in, train, trench, trespass, unlawful entry, visit, warm up, wedge in, wont, work in, worm in