break-in
[noun]
Synonyms: burglary, breaking and entering, robbery

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Related Idioms: break and enter

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English Thesaurus: robbery, theft, burglary, break-in, mugging, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

break in phrasal verb (see also break)

1. to enter a building by using force, in order to steal something:
Thieves broke in and stole £10,000 worth of computer equipment. ⇒ break-in

2. to interrupt someone when they are speaking
break in on
I didn’t want to break in on his telephone conversation.
break in with
Dad would occasionally break in with an amusing comment.

3. break something ↔ in to make new shoes or boots less stiff and more comfortable by wearing them:
I went for a walk to break in my new boots.

4. break somebody in to help a person get used to a certain way of behaving or working:
She’s quite new to the job, so we’re still breaking her in.

5. break something ↔ in to teach a young horse to carry people on its back:
We break the horses in when they’re about two years old.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

ˈbreak-in noun [countable]
an act of entering a building illegally and by force, especially in order to steal things:
Since the break-in we’ve had all our locks changed.
⇒ break in at break¹

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

break in
noun
ADJ. attempted | factory, house, etc. BREAK-IN + NOUN happen, take place
PREP. ~ at a break-in at the factory

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

robbery the crime of stealing money or other things from a bank, shop etc, especially by using threats or violence:
Mobile phones are a common target in street robberies.
Armed robbery is a serious offence.
theft the crime of stealing something, especially when the person they are stolen from is not present:
Car thefts are on the increase.
Security has been tightened since the theft of a $150,000 oil painting.
burglary the crime of entering a house or other building illegally and stealing things:
Most burglaries occur when a house or apartment is empty.
He was charged with burglary.
break-in an occasion when someone breaks a door or window in order to enter a place and steal things:
The break-in was the eighth on our street this year.
There’s been a break-in at the newsagents.
mugging a violent attack on someone in the street in order to rob them:
There have been a number of muggings outside downtown hotels.
raid an attack on a bank, shop etc, especially one in which the thieves use weapons:
The gang carried out an armed raid on a post office.
bank job informal a carefully planned robbery of a bank:
The money from the bank job was quickly taken out of the country.
larceny law the crime of stealing something from someone, without using force or threats. This word is used mainly in American English. It is now old-fashioned in British English:
He pleaded guilty in New York to nine counts of grand larceny (=stealing things that are worth a lot of money).
They were suspected of being involved in petty larceny (=stealing things that are not worth a lot of money).

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

break in
break in (something)
to make something comfortable by using it.
They're great shoes because I've already broken them in.

1.
to interrupt.
During the day they break in about every half hour to give the latest news.

2.
to enter illegally.
While she was out somebody broke in and stole everything she had.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

break in something
break in (something)
to make something comfortable by using it.
They're great shoes because I've already broken them in.

1.
to interrupt.
During the day they break in about every half hour to give the latest news.

2.
to enter illegally.
While she was out somebody broke in and stole everything she had.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

break in
• break in (someone or something)
to train someone to do a job, to make something the right size or feel comfortable by wearing or using it
It took me a long time to break in my new shoes.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

break in something
• break in (someone or something)
to train someone to do a job, to make something the right size or feel comfortable by wearing or using it
It took me a long time to break in my new shoes.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

break in
v. (stress on "in")
1a. To break from outside.
The firemen broke in the door of the burning house.
1b. To enter by force or unlawfully.
Thieves broke in while the family was away.
2. To enter suddenly or interrupt.
A stranger broke in on the meeting without knocking.
The secretary broke in to say that a telegram had arrived.
Compare: CUT IN².
3. To make a start in a line of work or with a company or association; begin a new job.
He broke in as a baseball player with a minor league.
4. To teach the skills of a new job or activity to.
An assistant foreman broke in the new man as a machine operator.
5. To lessen the stiffness or newness of by use.
He broke in a new pair of shoes.
Breaking in a new car requires careful driving at moderate speeds.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

break in
n. (stress on "break") A robbery; a burglary.
We lost our jewelry during a break-in.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲