Dictionary

break in en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To enter a place by force or illicit means.
   • No wonder they broke in, sir: Fake alarm system, single mortise lock on the door, windows that don't close properly... 2000 February 5, Douglas Watkinson et al., “Beyond the Grave”, in Midsomer Murders:
   • Thousands gathered at São Paulo’s main cathedral and made their way to the mayor’s office, where a small group smashed windows and tried to break in, forcing guards to withdraw. 2013 June 18, Simon Romero, “Protests Widen as Brazilians Chide Leaders”, in New York Times, retrieved 21 Jun 2013:
   • Someone broke in and stole his radio.
2. (transitive) To smash (something) by forcing it inward.
   • Break in the door. We are held up! 1914, Ernest Bramah, Max Carrados:
3. (ambitransitive, ergative, idiomatic) To reach a state of functioning more smoothly through use or wear; to cause (something, or someone, new) to undergo this change.
   • These shoes will be more comfortable after they have broken in.
   • These shoes will be more comfortable after I have broken them in.
4. (idiomatic, transitive) Starting something brand new or at a new level.
   • He broke in with the New York Yankees.
5. (of a horse, transitive) To tame; make obedient; to train to follow orders of the owner.
   • Captain had been broken in and trained for an army horse; his first owner was an officer of cavalry going out to the Crimean War. He said he quite enjoyed the training with all the other horses, trotting together, turning together, to the right hand or to the left, halting at the word of command, or dashing forward at full speed at the sound of the trumpet, or signal of the officer. [1877], Anna Sewell, “An Old War Horse”, in Black Beauty: […], London: Jarrold and Sons, […], →OCLC, part III, page 162:
6. (colloquial, transitive) To take the virginity of a girl, to deflower.
   • While brothel patrons placed their bets / On who would be the first to break her in 2002, Allison Moorer, “Ruby Jewel Was Here”, in Miss Fortune:
7. (intransitive) To interrupt one's conversation; speak before another person has finished speaking.
8. (slang, transitive) To initiate a new person into prostitution or prison sex acts.

Forms

Coordinates

wear out · break down

Deriveds

breaker-inner · break-in

Hypernyms

prepare

Relateds

break out · break and enter · breaking and entering · burn-in · break away · break into

Synonyms

wear in · run in

Translations (78)

ru обкатывать (to make something new function well through use) · de anlernen (to get used to a new level or situation) · id terobos masuk (to enter by force or illicitly) · fi kesyttää (to tame (a horse or other animal)) · de ins Wort fallen (to interrupt one's conversation) · fr roder (to make something new function well through use) · es estrenar (to make something new function well through use) · pl ujeździć (to tame (a horse or other animal)) · nl inbreken (to enter by force or illicitly) · pl włamywać się (to enter by force or illicitly) · ru вла́мываться (to enter by force or illicitly) · tr alıştırmak (to make something new function well through use) · pl włamać się (to enter by force or illicitly) · es ahormar (to make something new function well through use) · es irrumpir (to enter by force or illicitly) · de einarbeiten (to get used to a new level or situation) · pl ujeżdżać (to tame (a horse or other animal)) · oc adomdar (to tame (a horse or other animal)) · es ablandar (to make something new function well through use) · ru объезжа́ть (to tame (a horse or other animal)) · de einfahren (to make something new function well through use) · hu idomít (to tame (a horse or other animal)) · pl rozchodzić (to make something new function well through use) · ca irrompre (to enter by force or illicitly) · oc domdar (to tame (a horse or other animal)) · de (den Willen) brechen (to tame (a horse or other animal)) · fi koulia (to tame (a horse or other animal)) · es domar (to tame (a horse or other animal)) · es descerrajar (to enter by force or illicitly) · ru укроща́ть (to tame (a horse or other animal)) · fi ajaa sisään (to make something new function well through use) · oc aprivadar (to tame (a horse or other animal)) · nl inlopen (to make something new function well through use) · nb bryte seg inn (to enter by force or illicitly) · oc adomergir (to tame (a horse or other animal)) · ru разнашивать (to make something new function well through use) · ka შეჭრა (to enter by force or illicitly) · sv bryta sig in (to enter by force or illicitly) · oc irrompre (to enter by force or illicitly) · fr se faire (to make something new function well through use) · fr pénétrer par effraction (to enter by force or illicitly) · cs rozchodit (boty) (to make something new function well through use) · oc adomdar (to make something new function well through use) · de zureiten (to tame (a horse or other animal)) · oc far irrupcion (to enter by force or illicitly) · fr fracturer (to enter by force or illicitly) · sk rozchodiť (to make something new function well through use) · cs zajet (to make something new function well through use) · sv rida in (to tame (a horse or other animal)) · oc aprivadar (to make something new function well through use) · pt amaciar (to make something new function well through use) · es violentar (to enter by force or illicitly) · ru дрессирова́ть (to tame (a horse or other animal)) · it rodare (to make something new function well through use) · mi maoho (to enter by force or illicitly) · mi pereki hōiho (to tame (a horse or other animal)) · de einsteigen (job / coll.) (to start something new) · eo interrompi (to interrupt one's conversation) · de anfangen (to start something new) · cs zkrotit (to tame (a horse or other animal)) · eu moztu (to interrupt one's conversation) · cs vloupat se (to enter by force or illicitly) · fi murtautua (to enter by force or illicitly) · fr mater (to tame (a horse or other animal)) · la domō (to tame (a horse or other animal)) · ms pecah masuk (to enter by force or illicitly) · de eingewöhnen (to make something new function well through use) · de einbrechen (to enter by force or illicitly) · sv tämja (to tame (a horse or other animal)) · de einlaufen (to make something new function well through use) · hu betör (to enter by force or illicitly) · de einsteigen (to enter by force or illicitly) · it domare (to tame (a horse or other animal)) · eu hezi (to tame (a horse or other animal)) · es domar (to make something new function well through use) · eu indarrez sartu (to enter by force or illicitly) · mi pereki (to tame (a horse or other animal)) · fr casser (to make something new function well through use)