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

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Those investors had been focusing heavily on cash flow because the company broke open its piggy bank a few times this year. —

Melvin Backman, Quartz, 5 Nov. 2024 According to the detectives' theory, Ecker broke open the bathroom door, then Pennig was shot and fell on top of the piece. —

Hannah Vair, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2024 Using clean fingers, gently separate the sides and peel out the pouch, using the knife to slice it free (being careful not to break open the pouch). —

Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Oct. 2024 Here’s why understanding people is so important and how companies can break open the black box of their own workforce. —

Ryan Wong, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for break open