intruded; intruding
1
: to thrust oneself in without invitation, permission, or welcome
2
: to enter as a geologic intrusion
1
: to thrust or force in or upon someone or something especially without permission, welcome, or fitness
intruded himself into their lives
2
: to cause to enter as if by force
intruder
noun
Examples of intrude in a Sentence
Excuse me, sir. I don't mean to intrude, but you have a phone call.
Would I be intruding if I came along with you?
The plane intruded into their airspace.
Reporters constantly intruded into the couple's private life.
He didn't want to intrude upon their conversation.
Recent Examples on the Web
Just such a breakdown had occurred in Vietnam and Burma in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when colonial authorities began to intrude into peasant life, privatizing village lands, forests, and fisheries and introducing a multitude of punishing taxes.
—
Nikil Saval, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
The first hit is free, as per usual, and after the honeymoon period, ads will intrude into the Friends tab too.
—John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2025
On the rare occasions when politics did intrude, the context was fittingly fun-loving.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2025
Reading it can feel like intruding on her innermost thoughts.
—Lee Cowan, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intrude
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Nikil Saval, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025
The first hit is free, as per usual, and after the honeymoon period, ads will intrude into the Friends tab too.
—John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2025
On the rare occasions when politics did intrude, the context was fittingly fun-loving.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2025
Reading it can feel like intruding on her innermost thoughts.
—Lee Cowan, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intrude
Cite this Entry
“Intrude.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intrude. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
intrude
verb
in·trude
in-ˈtrüd 
intruded; intruding
1
: to bring or force in unasked
2
: to come or go in without invitation
intruder
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share