Definition of break into in English:

break into

See synonyms for break into

Translate break into into Spanish

phrasal verb

1break into somethingEnter or open a place, vehicle, or container forcibly, especially for the purposes of theft.
‘a friend of mine had his car broken into’
- ‘four men broke into the house’
- ‘In Italy, four armed burglars broke into a man's house.’
- ‘While he parked at the Trafford Centre to buy a birthday present, thieves broke into the vehicle to seize the laptop, discs and a camera.’
- ‘Residents on a York housing estate woke up to a scene of destruction after thieves broke into a string of vehicles in a private car park.’
- ‘Burglars broke into the house by forcing open a conservatory window and a door leading into the kitchen.’
- ‘In a terrifying incident in 1988, armed raiders broke into her house and threatened her family at gunpoint.’
- ‘Detectives are appealing for information after burglars broke into a house and stole a safe containing items worth £10,000.’
- ‘But if we catch somebody red-handed snatching an old lady's bag, or breaking into a vehicle in the street, we've got every right to apprehend them.’
- ‘Last night while I was down here with you lot, a burglar broke into my house.’
- ‘They broke into the vehicles by smashing the windows, causing more than £600 damage in total.’
- ‘Thieves broke into the house through the kitchen window and took a stereo and a tool box.’
burgle, rob
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1. 1.1Succeed in winning a share of a market or a position in a profession.
  ‘Japanese companies failed to break into the US personal computer market’
  ‘Australian exporters keen on breaking into the Japanese market can still find plenty of opportunities.’
  ‘They can offer advice, support and expertise to help companies break into overseas markets.’
  ‘It also showed that Chinese companies are serious about breaking into the European market.’
  ‘But there is a lot of competition in that area, it's difficult to break into a market when you only have a few customers.’
  ‘Chinese companies attempting to break into overseas markets are desperately trying to buy or build global brands.’
  ‘Reports from the US say the company is setting aside $50 million to break into the Russian market this year.’
  ‘They're breaking into new markets, launching new products, and starting to think about deals.’
  ‘It is hoped that information gained from the three-year project will be used by other farmers who want to break into the organic market.’
  ‘She broke into a position normally held by retired military officers or well-connected businessmen.’
  ‘I've been in the business for more than 10 years, but I am having a tough time breaking into an upper-management position.’
2break into somethingInterrupt a conversation.
‘Phil broke into the discussion’
- ‘He had to break into the conversation to make a point.’
- ‘They were all trying to find a way to break into the conversation.’
- ‘She ignored his apprehension and broke into their conversation boldly.’
- ‘She broke into the conversation with her usual want of tact.’
- ‘He walked up and broke into the conversation to let me know that his name was Alex and I would have to leave the premises immediately.’
- ‘The young sheriff scratched his head and the well-dressed man broke into the conversation.’
- ‘Dr. Connelly cleared his throat, breaking into their conversation and making them looked up at him.’
- ‘Bert decided this would be a good time to break into the conversation, ‘How was your day?’’
- ‘Kaitlin nodded, finally seeing a chance to break into the conversation.’
- ‘He started to protest again when Harriman broke into the middle of the conversation.’
interrupt, butt into, cut in on, intervene in
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3break into somethingSuddenly or unexpectedly burst into laughter or song.
‘he broke into a fit of choking laughter’
- ‘The two girls broke into sudden and unexpected laughter.’
- ‘This appeared to be some sort of private joke because they all suddenly broke into laughter.’
- ‘I just hoped she wouldn't suddenly break into song.’
- ‘He was stunned at first, then broke into a fit of laughter.’
- ‘She barely finished the sentence before breaking into another fit of laughter.’
- ‘At various points along the way, the group spontaneously broke into song.’
- ‘And as easily as speaking, she broke into a song that touched the hearts of all those present.’
- ‘Like any musical, it never seems strange when someone breaks into song, accompanied by an entire orchestra that nobody can actually see.’
- ‘He interrupts conversations by breaking into song.’
- ‘All three broke into laughing, but were interrupted by the doorbell ringing.’
begin suddenly, burst into, launch into
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1. 3.1(of a person's face or mouth) relax into (a smile)
  ‘John's face broke into a grin’
  ‘Her face brightened and her eyes lit up as her mouth broke into a smile.’
  ‘To my astonishment, his usual calm smile broke into a wide mischievous grin.’
  ‘Her face broke into an uneasy smile as she looked at him, standing tall at 6 feet, with a slim yet athletic build and a devilish glint in his eyes.’
  ‘The kid broke into a sweet smile on hearing the joke, and with that the old man gave him a bear hug, covering his cheeks with kisses amid joyful tears.’
  ‘And he breaks into a smile for the first time today.’
  ‘He then breaks into a big smile, as if to reassure me he is only teasing.’
  ‘‘You are lucky,’ the doctor said, breaking into a smile.’
  ‘She is petite, blonde and quick to break into a sunny smile.’
  ‘She pulled open the door and felt her mouth break into a rather large grin.’
  ‘Her wizened face broke into a smile as she took in the sight of the three of them on her doorstep, ‘Visitors!’’
4break into somethingChange one's pace to a faster one.
‘Greg broke into a sprint’
- ‘I keep my pace quite fast without breaking into a jog, just to get my heart rate up.’
- ‘I broke into a sprint and ran the rest of the way home.’
- ‘‘Let's go,’ said Leon as he broke into a sprint, followed closely by his father and brother.’
- ‘Arin broke into a sprint, heading down the dark passage.’
- ‘He then broke into a sprint, knocking the remnants of the door completely off its hinges, and he sped down the staircase into the secret basement.’
- ‘Ryan stormed down the street and Caleb stared after him in shock then he abruptly let go of Emma, broke into a run and sprinted after Ryan as if the devil was on his heels.’
- ‘A tear dropped, I started walking faster, and then faster until eventually I broke into a sprint and ran as fast as I could.’
- ‘As soon as James was out of sight of the main room, he broke into a run, sprinting down the hall and throwing the door open.’
- ‘She ducked down an alley, got out of sight of the main crowd, then broke into a sprint.’
- ‘He breaks into a sprint and dashes across the finishing line.’