break open
phrasal 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
Eaton blows out Franklin to advance Haslet Eaton broke open a close game after one quarter en route to a 64-35 win over El Paso Franklin in a Class 6A Division I area-round tilt on Friday afternoon at Odessa Permian High School.
—
Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Feb. 2026
Choose a feeder with a sturdy design that can’t be easily tipped over and a robust locking system to prevent persistent dogs from breaking open the hopper.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026
Not much damage had been done this time, but our dwindling supply of food under the table had been pawed over again, and a few more packages were broken open.
—Doris Decleene, Outdoor Life, 25 Feb. 2026
In 2017, reporting in the Times and this magazine helped break open the Harvey Weinstein scandal, which reflected not only one man’s abuses but a larger predatory power structure within the entertainment industry.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for break open
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.
Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Feb. 2026
Choose a feeder with a sturdy design that can’t be easily tipped over and a robust locking system to prevent persistent dogs from breaking open the hopper.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2026
Not much damage had been done this time, but our dwindling supply of food under the table had been pawed over again, and a few more packages were broken open.
—Doris Decleene, Outdoor Life, 25 Feb. 2026
In 2017, reporting in the Times and this magazine helped break open the Harvey Weinstein scandal, which reflected not only one man’s abuses but a larger predatory power structure within the entertainment industry.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 24 Feb. 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 2 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
