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
Half the enjoyment of these toys is being able to carefully break open the egg to reveal the surprise creature inside.
—
Bestreviews, Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2026
Azzi Fudd drained a 3-pointer and Arnold grabbed her fourth steal that turned into another bucket for Strong to break open a 10-point lead before the three-minute mark of the first quarter.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 8 Jan. 2026
This time, the center had 10 points in the fourth quarter to help the Knicks break open the game.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Whatever the limitations of the marketplace, great writing remains as capable as ever of breaking open your sense of the world and your place in it.
—Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for break open
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Bestreviews, Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2026
Azzi Fudd drained a 3-pointer and Arnold grabbed her fourth steal that turned into another bucket for Strong to break open a 10-point lead before the three-minute mark of the first quarter.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 8 Jan. 2026
This time, the center had 10 points in the fourth quarter to help the Knicks break open the game.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Whatever the limitations of the marketplace, great writing remains as capable as ever of breaking open your sense of the world and your place in it.
—Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 1 Jan. 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 16 Jan. 2026.
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