break into
InseparableThe verb and particle never split. The object always follows the whole phrase.
How to say it
Stress the particle, not the verb: break INTO. Saying “BREAK into” is the clearest learner tell — the verb stays light and the particle carries the beat.
Link across the gap. The final /k/ of “break” moves onto the particle and starts its syllable: “break into” is said “brea-kinto”. Pausing between the words is what makes phrasal verbs sound recited rather than spoken.
2 meanings
- 1
To enter a specific place by force.
- “Thieves broke into the warehouse and took three laptops.”
- “Someone tried to break into my car last night.”
Similar: force entry
- 2
To suddenly start doing something.
- “The crowd broke into applause.”
- “She broke into a run when she saw the bus pulling away.”
Similar: burst into