break into
Britishverb
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to enter (a house, etc) illegally, esp by force
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to change abruptly from a slower to a faster speed
the horse broke into a gallop
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to consume (supplies held in reserve)
at the end of the exercise the soldiers had to break into their iron rations
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Make a forcible entry into, as in The alarm went off as soon as they tried to break into the house . [1300s] Also see break in , def. 1.
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Interrupt, as in I couldn't help but break into your conversation . [Mid-1600s]
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Suddenly begin some activity, as in Without warning she broke into tears . Also see under burst into .
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Enter or be admitted to an occupation or profession, as in Without connections it is virtually impossible to break into acting . [Late 1800s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Publix has strong loyalty in the Deep South, she said, but it might struggle to break into the market.
But in the last week, debates about how to make these decisions, as well as who is responsible for them, have broken into the mainstream.
From BBC
But being able to watch Rice from when he broke into West Ham's first team was incredible.
From BBC
She understood that despite the character’s misbehavior in the series — like breaking into her boss’ office — she’s decently good at her job.
From Los Angeles Times
For most households, that means pulling down a six-figure income to break into the market.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
