What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
housebreaker
Example
The police arrested the housebreaker who had been targeting homes in the neighborhood. [housebreaker: noun]
Example
He was caught housebreaking and was sentenced to five years in prison. [housebreaking: gerund or present participle]
robber
Example
The convenience store was robbed at gunpoint last night. [robbed: past tense]
Example
The robber demanded that the bank teller hand over all the cash in the register. [robber: noun]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Robber is more commonly used than housebreaker in everyday language. Robber is a more general term that covers a wider range of theft-related crimes, while housebreaker is a more specific term that refers to breaking into a property to commit theft.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between housebreaker and robber?
Both housebreaker and robber are formal terms that are typically used in legal or law enforcement contexts. However, robber is more versatile and can be used in both formal and informal contexts, while housebreaker is less commonly used and may sound outdated or archaic in some situations.
