# break gates

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/break-gates
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To enter an Oxford or Cambridge college enclosure after the hour to which a student has been restricted.

## Examples

- He tried to break gates after the clock struck midnight.
- The students risked a heavy fine when they decided to break gates to return to their rooms late at night.
- Despite the strict disciplinary consequences awaiting any student caught, he foolishly attempted to break gates rather than face the locked doors of the college.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.