to break in
29
3.5
- phrasal verb
- /breɪk ɪn/
- Okay, I'm breaking in the door.
- break in the door
Examples
-
He breaks in through the window.
Fiction book (2000) -
We got here, broke in the door with your landlord, and found you unconscious on the kitchen floor.
-
What if the bad guys break in a window?
-
He'll break in a window.
Fiction book (1998) -
Christ, they may have broken in and ripped off all we got.
-
On Thanksgiving, Robert Bainbridge—who has been filing reports with his insurance company and federal agencies—filed a police report after he discovered someone had broken in and burglarized his house.
Blog text (29) -
The thief managed to break in through the back door undetected.
-
They called the police after discovering someone had broken in during the night.
-
To escape the cold, he tried to break in to a vacant house.
Synonyms
637
2.2
To hit something with great force and cause damage
346
1.6
To press something hard so it breaks or loses its shape
278
2.1
To break something into many pieces using great force
176
1.4
Break open suddenly because of pressure inside
145
2.8
To break suddenly into many small pieces, like glass
105
3.8
To break or remove something by force, often by hitting it
100
4.7
To break a hard object, for example a bone or rock
99
3.7
To move suddenly through a barrier, as light or a person
66
2.6
Open something like a bottle or box to get what is inside
52
5.8
To break something into pieces by hitting it hard
47
2.1
To open something suddenly by force, for example a locked door or jar
44
4.2
To make an opening in a wall or barrier
36
4.1
Force a door or gate open by hitting it hard with your foot
27
4.7
To damage something very badly so it breaks into pieces
22
5.5
Force open a door or gate by hitting it with your foot
2
8.5
To break a hole in an object by hitting or crushing it
1
7.7
To break a hole in something and make part cave in
1
7.1
Force a door open by hitting it hard
Antonyms
How Forceful
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to forcefully enter by breaking a barrier' is directly and compositionally derived from 'break' (to damage or cause to separate) plus 'in' (into the interior); the particle adds the direction/result of entering. This verb+particle construction is a common, predictable pattern and a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the intended sense.
Etymology
The phrasal verb break in comes from breaking part of a door or window so it falls inward, making a way through the barrier. So it means 'to force something to fall inward'.