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.

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 Then a tip from someone at a McDonald’s restaurant in Altoona, Pa., broke open the case, Kenny said. —

Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024 In fact, boiling contaminated water can exacerbate the problem by breaking open the bacteria and releasing more toxins. —

Raul A. Reyes, Newsweek, 22 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for break open