1 B1 neutral
to enter a building or other place illegally by force
"Thieves broke into the shop during the night."
inseparable
break into
B1 neutral inseparable transitive
to enter forcibly, begin suddenly, or manage to enter a new area or activity
In plain English
to get into something by force, start suddenly, or succeed in entering a new field
What does "break into" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic neutral
to suddenly begin doing something such as laughing, crying, or singing
"The whole room broke into applause at the end."
inseparable
3 B2 idiomatic neutral
to succeed in entering a new profession, market, or area of activity
"She is hoping to break into film production after college."
inseparable
Usage tip
Very common. Used with buildings, conversations, industries, songs, and markets.
Words that pair with "break into"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
a house the market the conversation song tears industry
How to conjugate "break into"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
break into
I/you/we/they
3rd person
breaks into
he/she/it
Past simple
broke into
yesterday
Past participle
broken into
have + pp
-ing form
breaking into
continuous
Hear "break into" in the wild
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Other ways to say "break into"
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Keep exploring
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