ENGLISH
REFERENCE

break into

idiom
Meaning

To enter illegally or by force, especially in order to commit a crime.


Examples
SIMPLE

Someone tried to break into my car last night.

CONTEXTUAL

The police arrived quickly after the alarm sounded when the thieves tried to break into the jewelry store.

COMPLEX

The security system failed to detect the intruder who managed to break into the high-security vault during the middle of the night.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    big break

    A breakthrough, especially the first big hit of a previously unknown performer or performers in the entertainment industry.

  2. 02

    break a leg

    Good luck!; Do your best!; Said to someone wishing they perform well in a theatrical production or comparable endeavor.

  3. 03

    break a sweat

    To put effort into something.

  4. 04

    break cover

    To disclose one's real thoughts and intentions.

  5. 05

    break down

    To give in or give up: relent, concede, surrender.

  6. 06

    break even

    To neither gain nor lose money.

  7. 07

    break gates

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

  8. 08

    break in

    To reach a state of functioning more smoothly through use or wear; to cause (something, or someone, new) to undergo this change.

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