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 exchange broke open a feud that had been simmering for weeks out of public view.
—
Michael Wilner, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
His one-out single to the opposite field off senior reliever Brody Paluch drove in the first of the six runs the Bears scored in the fifth inning to break open a 3-3 tie.
—Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2025
The Crusaders laid down two run-scoring squeeze bunts to break open a scoreless game before tacking on insurance to beat Bonita Vista High School 6-1 to win the Open Division title.
—Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 June 2025
As the cookie dough is refrigerated and pre-portioned, all a busy host has to do is break open the package, bake for around 12 minutes, and serve up warm, gooey cookies fresh out of the oven.
—Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for break open
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Michael Wilner, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
His one-out single to the opposite field off senior reliever Brody Paluch drove in the first of the six runs the Bears scored in the fifth inning to break open a 3-3 tie.
—Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2025
The Crusaders laid down two run-scoring squeeze bunts to break open a scoreless game before tacking on insurance to beat Bonita Vista High School 6-1 to win the Open Division title.
—Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 June 2025
As the cookie dough is refrigerated and pre-portioned, all a busy host has to do is break open the package, bake for around 12 minutes, and serve up warm, gooey cookies fresh out of the oven.
—Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 6 May 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 15 Jun. 2025.
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