break open
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 first quarter was back and forth until the Aces got hot, going on a 13-0 run over a 90-second stretch to break open a double-digit lead fueled by six points from Carter.
—
Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 14 May 2026
James Harden added 24 points and 11 assists for Cleveland, which outscored Detroit 60-47 in the second half after breaking open the game with a 22-0 surge to start the third quarter.
—Darnell Mayberry, New York Times, 12 May 2026
Brock runs roughshod over Canyon to advance Brock broke open a close game with 12 runs in the fourth inning to run rule Canyon 16-2 in 5 innings in Game 2 on Friday to sweep the Class 4A Division II series that was held at Lubbock Christian University.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 May 2026
Then, in 2017, the case suddenly broke open.
—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for break open
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Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 14 May 2026
James Harden added 24 points and 11 assists for Cleveland, which outscored Detroit 60-47 in the second half after breaking open the game with a 22-0 surge to start the third quarter.
—Darnell Mayberry, New York Times, 12 May 2026
Brock runs roughshod over Canyon to advance Brock broke open a close game with 12 runs in the fourth inning to run rule Canyon 16-2 in 5 innings in Game 2 on Friday to sweep the Class 4A Division II series that was held at Lubbock Christian University.
—Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 May 2026
Then, in 2017, the case suddenly broke open.
—Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 9 May 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 21 May. 2026.
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