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
Officers found a gravesite dug open, along with the crypt and casket broken open.
—
Kansas City Star, 3 July 2025
The case entered the religious liberty sphere advocates have been trying to break open in public schools at the Supreme Court for years.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 25 May 2025
With one of their weapons neutralized, the Celtics needed to break open Game 1 with their energy.
—Jay King, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025
The Brewers broke open the game with a five-run seventh inning.
—John Shipley, Twin Cities, 21 June 2025
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.
Kansas City Star, 3 July 2025
The case entered the religious liberty sphere advocates have been trying to break open in public schools at the Supreme Court for years.
—Zach Schonfeld, The Hill, 25 May 2025
With one of their weapons neutralized, the Celtics needed to break open Game 1 with their energy.
—Jay King, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2025
The Brewers broke open the game with a five-run seventh inning.
—John Shipley, Twin Cities, 21 June 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 16 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share