broken in

past participle of break in
1
as in invaded
to enter a house or building by force usually with illegal intent the burglars broke in by smashing a window

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in interrupted
to cause a disruption in a conversation or discussion he rudely broke in to drop the names of several celebrities that he had met

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of broken in The insoles have built-in arch support with memory foam footbeds, and they’re designed to hug your feet for a snug fit that feels broken in from day one. — Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 29 Sep. 2026 Prosecutors alleged Flynn shot Ashley in the back of the head inside their Tipp City home before staging the scene to look like an intruder had broken in. — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026 When shopping for your own pair, Foster recommends the brand Tecovas for petites because many of its styles have 14- to 15-inch shafts and tend to arrive feeling already broken in. — Malia Griggs, Glamour, 15 Sep. 2026 One of Steves’s golden travel rules is to pack a pair of comfortable walking shoes that are already broken in. — Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 13 Sep. 2026 Diplomatic relations, broken in 2019, were restored in March. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2026 Just last week, 65-year-old Lydia Zuniga’s leg was broken in three places after a mentally ill stranger shoved her onto the tracks at a Bronx subway station in an unprovoked attack. — Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026 While his Emmy streak was broken in 2024 by The Traitors‘ Alan Cumming, RuPaul’s success goes beyond awards season. — Mckinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 21 June 2026 Ground was broken in Arlington Heights at the site of the new horse racing track, then known as Arlington Park, which was expected to cost $2 million to complete. — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for broken in
Verb
  • Russia invaded its neighbor more than 4½ years ago, and there are no concrete signs that a peace settlement might be possible.
    — Susie Blann, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Russia invaded its neighbor more than 4 ½ years ago, and there are no concrete signs that a peace settlement might be possible.
    — HANNA ARHIROVA, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • In all, at least a dozen demonstrators interrupted the president.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • His political career, which included a spell as the Conservative Party’s deputy chairman, was interrupted by a period in prison in 2001 after he was found guilty of lying and cheating in a 1987 libel case against The Daily Star newspaper.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • But Garrett Mitchell tracked it down, leaped at the wall, and robbed Machado on the warning track.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • What about the impact on other clubs and fans, who were potentially robbed of titles, trophies, money, parades, memories?
    — Matt Piper, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • When the interpreter described her as having a filmography of more than 80 titles and began to call her prolific, Gainsbourg cut in.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Sand criticized the Republican House members and senators representing Iowa in Washington for voting in support of SNAP cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in the first place.
    — Gabrielle M. Etzel, The Washington Examiner, 7 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Broken in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken%20in. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!