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to break in
01
to enter someone's property by force and without their consent, particularly to steal something
Intransitive
Grammatical Information
Composition
phrasal
Movement verb
Regular
Inseparable
Particle
in
Base verb
break
Present tense
break in
3rd person singular
breaks in
Present participle
breaking in
Past simple
broke in
Past participle
broken in
Examples
The alarm system alerted the police when someone tried to break in.
02
to start to speak in the middle of a conversation
Intransitive
Examples
A shout from the street broke in on their discussion.
03
to start something entirely new or take it to a higher level
Transitive: to break in sth
Examples
The company plans to break the product launch in with a grand event.
04
to make a horse obedient, typically a young one
Transitive: to break in a horse
Examples
The cowboy spent weeks breaking in the new ranch horses.
05
to break in a way that causes the broken parts to fall inward
Intransitive
Examples
The roof of the old barn finally started to break in after years of neglect.
06
to make something work better by using it regularly
Transitive: to break in sth
Examples
It's important to break the leather gloves in before playing baseball.
07
to assist someone in getting used to a specific way of behaving or working
Transitive: to break in sb
Examples
The team leader aimed to break the new member in gently to the project.
