burgle
/ˈbəːɡ(ə)l
/verb [with object] chiefly British
Enter (a building) illegally with intent to commit a crime, especially theft: our house in London has been burgled...
- An elderly woman foiled an attempt by con men to burgle her home after she became suspicious and screamed and shouted at them until they left.
- A woman today told of her terror as she fought with an intruder trying to burgle her home at night.
- He added their method was to burgle houses, steal car keys and load goods from the homes into the stolen vehicles before making off.
Synonyms
break into, force (an) entry into, force one's way into;
steal from, rob, loot, plunder, rifle, sack, ransack, pillage
informal do
Origin
Late 19th century: originally a humorous and colloquial back-formation from burglar.