to enter a building by force; to open a car, etc. by force
Example:
- We had our car broken into last week.
Related words and phrases
to begin laughing, singing, etc. suddenly
Example:
- As the president's car drew up, the crowd broke into loud applause.
to suddenly start running; to start running faster than before
Example:
- He broke into a run when he saw the police.
- Her horse broke into a trot.
to be successful when you get involved in something
Example:
- The company is having difficulty breaking into new markets.
to open and use something that has been kept for an emergency
Example:
- They had to break into the emergency food supplies.
to use a banknote of high value to buy something that costs less
Example:
- I had to break into a £20 note to pay the bus fare.