broken in

verb

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

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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
  1. invaded
  2. interrupted
  3. robbed
  4. cut in
Verb
  • The day after Israel's modern independence, the armies of Egypt, Syria, Transjordan, Lebanon, and Iraq, with a Saudi contingent in tow, invaded.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Putin’s statements, in an interview with Kremlin journalist Pavel Zarubin broadcast late Thursday, doubled down on his claims to territory in Ukraine that Russia invaded and illegally annexed in 2022.
    — Catherine Belton, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of invaded
Verb
  • During the first Senate debate of the cycle in September at the Kansas State Fairgrounds, Marshall was repeatedly heckled and interrupted by boisterous audience members.
    — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Knight repeatedly interrupted, declared him out of order and warned that he could be removed.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of interrupted
Verb
  • To make matters worse, this isn't the first time the band has been robbed.
    — Renee Anderson, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Photojournalist Heidi Levine was knocked down, beaten, and robbed of her camera equipment by masked settlers in an attack captured on video by other journalists.
    — Cameron Peters, Vox, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of robbed
Verb
  • But even those recreations are cut in with actual archival footage, so they are connected.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Equally noteworthy were the robe coats (belts optional) at Colleen Allen and Calvin Klein, cut in soft shapes for a natural drape.
    — Andrea Zendejas, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of cut in

Browse Nearby Words

brokenhearted
broken in
broken off
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Cite this Entry

“Broken in.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/broken%20in. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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