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
The Brewers broke open the game with a five-run seventh inning.
—
John Shipley, Twin Cities, 21 June 2025
Other people's marriages can appear impossible to break open and parse — no two couples are the same.
—Jessica Stanley, People.com, 13 June 2025
And when Padres reliever Jeremiah Estrada did serve up a mistake over the plate, Hernández didn’t miss it, clobbering a 2-and-1 fastball down the middle for a 420-foot drive that broke open the game.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2025
The exchange broke open a feud that had been simmering for weeks out of public view.
—Michael Wilner, Los Angeles Times, 5 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.
John Shipley, Twin Cities, 21 June 2025
Other people's marriages can appear impossible to break open and parse — no two couples are the same.
—Jessica Stanley, People.com, 13 June 2025
And when Padres reliever Jeremiah Estrada did serve up a mistake over the plate, Hernández didn’t miss it, clobbering a 2-and-1 fastball down the middle for a 420-foot drive that broke open the game.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2025
The exchange broke open a feud that had been simmering for weeks out of public view.
—Michael Wilner, Los Angeles Times, 5 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 29 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share