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
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.
In the fifth, the Borrego Springs’ bats came to life, scoring five runs on five hits to break open the game. Kevin J. Farmer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 May 2026 Black Oil Sunflower Seed Black oil sunflower seeds have very thin shells that weigh less and are easier for birds to break open to get to the oil-rich kernels. Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 May 2026 Masen Ruiz, who hadn’t come to the plate since May 7 while stuck on the bench, hit a three-run triple to break open the game after being put in as a defensive replacement. Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2026 At that point, the Bearcats broke open the game. Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for break open

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Break open.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/break%20open. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster