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
That individual brilliance which can produce a moment of magic to break open a stubborn defence is harder to come by.
—
Liam Tharme, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
After the Spurs entered halftime with a narrow one-point lead, San Antonio appeared to break open the game with a dominant third quarter.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2025
After that final night, something inside me broke open.
—Maya McHenry, Refinery29, 28 Oct. 2025
When proteins are modified, the glow provides a visual signal, letting researchers monitor biological activity without breaking open cells or adding disruptive chemicals.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break open
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Liam Tharme, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
After the Spurs entered halftime with a narrow one-point lead, San Antonio appeared to break open the game with a dominant third quarter.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 31 Oct. 2025
After that final night, something inside me broke open.
—Maya McHenry, Refinery29, 28 Oct. 2025
When proteins are modified, the glow provides a visual signal, letting researchers monitor biological activity without breaking open cells or adding disruptive chemicals.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2025
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 6 Nov. 2025.
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