break open
verb
broke open; broken open; breaking open; breaks open
: to open or to cause (something) to open suddenly
The pods broke open and the seeds scattered on the wind.
The police broke open the door.
The burglars broke the locked safe open.
Examples of break open in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Colin Hynek's three-run homer broke open a close game in the eighth inning and sent North Carolina to a 6-2 win over Mississippi in the College World Series on Friday night.
—
ABC News, 12 June 2026
Offensively, the game broke open during a six-run fourth inning that featured home runs from outfielder Owen Caissie and designated hitter Kyle Stowers.
—Tyler Carmona
june 11, Miami Herald, 11 June 2026
The indie media boom struck her as the moment the legitimacy hierarchy definitively broke open.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 June 2026
New York broke open a 1-1 tie with two outs in the bottom of the eighth by scoring five runs to waste a strong 6 1/3-inning effort from starter Ranger Suarez, with Gasper catching.
—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for break open
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ABC News, 12 June 2026
Offensively, the game broke open during a six-run fourth inning that featured home runs from outfielder Owen Caissie and designated hitter Kyle Stowers.
—Tyler Carmona
june 11, Miami Herald, 11 June 2026
The indie media boom struck her as the moment the legitimacy hierarchy definitively broke open.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 June 2026
New York broke open a 1-1 tie with two outs in the bottom of the eighth by scoring five runs to waste a strong 6 1/3-inning effort from starter Ranger Suarez, with Gasper catching.
—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for break open
Cite this Entry
“Break open.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/break%20open. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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