break open
Force something open
Break open means to open something by force or sudden action, typically something sealed or closed: firefighters broke open the door, break open a piñata.
It extends to figurative uses—to break open a case is to make a crucial discovery, and a game breaks open when one side suddenly pulls ahead decisively.
- burstBreak apart suddenly
- crowbarMetal prying lever
- pryLever or snoop
- jimmySmall prying bar
- splitSeparation into parts
shatter · piñata · hatch · egg hatching · blow · separate · smash · rupture · reveal · expose · fracture · crack · unearth · pod · fall apart · pop · emerge · rip