Link Centre Dictionary

break in

brea·kin

UK/ˈbɹeɪkˌɪn/ US/ˈbreɪˌkɪn/ fairly common
verb (6) noun (1)

verb

1.

enter someone''s 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!”
Synonyms
2.

break into a conversation

  • “her husband always chimes in, even when he is not involved in the conversation”
Synonyms
3.
4.

intrude on uninvited

  • “The nosy couple broke in on our conversation”
Synonyms
5.

break so as to call inward

  • “He broke in the door”
Synonyms
6.

make submissive, obedient, or useful

  • “The horse was tough to break”
  • “I broke in the new intern”
Synonyms

noun

1.

Origin

Coined by Bill Buchanan and Dickie Goodman to describe their then-new song The Flying Saucer, referring to how material from one song would break into their song.

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.