burgle
gb/bˈɚɡəl/ us/bˈɚɡəl/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
Verb
C1
action
1
Break into a building to steal
to go into a building illegally to steal
Usage pattern:
burgle [a house/flat/shop/office]
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse burgle with rob: you burgle a building (house/shop), but you rob a person or a bank (take by threat/force).
Synonyms
break into (More general; does not always imply stealing.)
|
burglarize (Common US equivalent; less common in UK English.)
Antonyms
secure (Opposite idea: make a place safe against break-ins.)
|
protect (Opposite idea: keep a place safe from crime.)
Collocations
burgle a house
|burgle a home
|burgle a flat
|burgle an apartment
|burgle a shop
|burgle a store
|burgle an office
|burgle a bank
|attempt to burgle
|be burgled
Themes
crime
|law
|home
Examples
- Someone burgled our house while we were on holiday.
- Two teenagers were arrested for burgling a local shop.
- The office was burgled overnight and several laptops were taken.
Learner examples
- A man tried to burgle the house.
- Our flat was burgled last night.
Verb
C1
action
2
Commit burglary
to do burglary
Usage pattern:
burgle (in/around [a place])
Common mistake:
It is more common to say what was burgled (e.g., a house). This intransitive use is less frequent.
Synonyms
steal (Much broader; not specifically entering a building.)
Antonyms
obey the law (Opposite behavior in general.)
Collocations
burgle in the area
|burgle locally
|burgle regularly
|go out burgling
|a gang that burgles
|burgle at night
|burgle for cash
|burgle to fund a habit
Themes
crime
|law
Examples
- The police believe the same group has been burgling in the area for months.
- He admitted that he used to burgle to pay off his debts.
Learner examples
- They were caught burgling at night.
Grammar
Dictionary form
burgle
IPA
GB/bˈɚɡəl/
US/bˈɚɡəl/
Syllables & stress
burgle (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (burgle)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: burgle
- 3rd Person Singular: burgles
- Present Participle: burgling
- Past: burgled
Word family
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.