stave in
Smash a hole
To stave in is to break or crush inward, typically by force: The collision staved in the hull.
The phrase often describes damage to boats, barrels, or other containers where the walls buckle or collapse.
A staved-in chest or skull suggests violent impact.
The past tense is staved in or stove in.
- break openForcibly unseal something
- crack openBreak to reveal contents
- burstBreak apart suddenly
- implodeCollapse violently inward
- splitSeparation into parts
smash · break through · battering · collapse · rupture · shatter · cave in · ram · knock in · crush · devastate · break in · strike · impact · dent · bash in · puncture · demolish