break in — enter illegally
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
to enter a building or place by force, usually to steal something or without permission.
Say it like a native
Textbook Intruders forcibly gained entry to the property overnight.
Native Someone broke in overnight.
'Break in' is the everyday verb for a burglary entry; the formal paraphrase is police-report English.
Pattern: break in (to something)
In use
- Someone tried to break in while we were on holiday, but the alarm scared them away.daily life
- If I ever saw someone trying to break in to a neighbor’s house, I would call the police immediately.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ Thieves broke in the house last night.
✓ Thieves broke into the house last night. / Thieves broke in last night.
With a place named, use 'break INTO the house'; bare 'break in' (no object) is also fine.
Common collocations
break in / break into— the house, overnight, through a window, and steal
Don't confuse it
'Break in' can also mean to interrupt someone, which is a different sense.
Related
- break in (interrupt) — Another meaning of 'break in' is 'interrupt'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.