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housebreaking
noun
house·break·ing
ˈhau̇s-ˌbrā-kiŋ
: an act of breaking open and entering the dwelling house of another with a felonious purpose
Examples of housebreaking in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The three inmates were also charged with escaping lawful custody, housebreaking, robbery, and two counts of kidnapping.
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Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 8 Mar. 2024
Last week, the suspects were returned to Grenada, where they were all charged with two counts of capital murder, escaping lawful custody, housebreaking, robbery and two counts of kidnapping.
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Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 15 Mar. 2024
Ron Mitchell, a 30-year-old sailor; Atiba Stanislaus, a 25-year-old farmer; and Trevon Robertson, a 23-year-old unemployed man, were charged with capital murder, escaping lawful custody, housebreaking, robbery and kidnapping.
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CBS News, 8 Mar. 2024
The three suspects have also been charged with escaping lawful custody, housebreaking, robbery and kidnapping.
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Michael Rios, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024
Sometimes armed with rifles, the settlers intermittently engage in housebreaking, sheep stealing and vandalism.
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Steven Erlanger Sergey Ponomarev, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2024
Many people need help troubleshooting issues such as housebreaking or leash-walking difficulties.
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NBC News, 14 Feb. 2022
Zandile Christmas Mafe, 49, who liked to talk politics with friends, was charged on Tuesday with arson, theft, housebreaking and possession of explosives.
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New York Times, 4 Jan. 2022
The man is expected to appear in court Tuesday to face charges of arson, housebreaking, and theft, a police spokesperson said.
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Harold Maass, The Week, 3 Jan. 2022
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Word History
First Known Use
1607, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near housebreaking
Cite this Entry
“Housebreaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/housebreaking. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.
Kids Definition
Legal Definition
housebreaking
noun
house·break·ing
ˈhau̇s-ˌbrā-kiŋ
: the act of breaking into and entering the dwelling house of another for the purpose of committing a felony
housebreaker
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on housebreaking
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for housebreaking
Nglish: Translation of housebreaking for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about housebreaking
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