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

Brandon Vallance/Getty Images The Giants broke open what had been a 3-2 game with a seven-run sixth inning off relievers Chad Patrick and Aaron Ashby. — CBS News, 30 July 2026

When healthy, Pearsall has shown an ability to break open fast as a sure-handed target. — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 29 July 2026

The case broke open when a Grapevine detective obtained a covert DNA sample from soda bottles in Brown’s trash in Colorado. — Amy McDaniel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 July 2026

Vilade’s line drive off Gabe Speier broke open a 2-1 game with two out in the seventh, scoring Aranda and Junior Caminero. — ABC News, 11 July 2026

Rhymes for break open

• atropine
• reopen