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BREAK OPEN
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (verb)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Erupt or intensify suddenly
Example:
The crowd irrupted into a burst of patriotism
Synonyms:
break open; burst out; erupt; flare; flare up; irrupt
Classified under:
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.
Hypernyms (to "break open" is one way to...):
deepen; intensify (become more intense)
Sentence frames:
Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Sense 2
Meaning:
Come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
Example:
The bubble burst
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.
Hypernyms (to "break open" is one way to...):
break; come apart; fall apart; separate; split up (become separated into pieces or fragments)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "break open"):
pop (burst open with a sharp, explosive sound)
blow (burst suddenly)
stave; stave in (burst or force (a hole) into something)
Sentence frames:
Something ----s
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Sense 3
Meaning:
Open with force
Example:
He broke open the picnic basket
Classified under:
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging
Hypernyms (to "break open" is one way to...):
open; open up (cause to open or to become open)
Sentence frame:
Somebody ----s something
Sentence example:
They want to break open the doors
