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
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.
Monday night, Sheets had 31 points, including 13 in the third quarter when Manchester (13-1) broke open the game, and Manchester – after losing to East Catholic (9-4) earlier in the month, beat the Eagles 67-61 for the first time in at least 10 years at East Catholic. Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 28 Jan. 2025 The detectives suspected that when Ecker broke open the door, that small metal piece landed on the bathroom floor. Hannah Vair, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2024 The case originally broke open after a crew robbed a Fort Worth AT&T store in December 2020. Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Feb. 2025 Black Oil Sunflower Seed Black oil sunflower seed has very thin shells that weigh less and is easier for birds to break open to get to the oil-rich kernels. Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for break open

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Cite this Entry

“Break open.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/break%20open. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

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