break open

break open (third-person singular simple present breaks open, present participle breaking open, simple past broke open, past participle broken open)

1. (transitive, intransitive) Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see break,‎ open.

   Lacking a corkscrew, he broke the bottle open.

2. To make a breakthrough on a mystery or problem; to cause a breakthrough to be made.

   I think I broke this case open.

   The new evidence has broken this case open.

• breakopen (noun)