ˈōp-niŋ
1
as in opportunity
a favorable combination of circumstances, time, and place
the talk show host's usual modus operandi is to talk over his guests, thereby denying them an opening to articulate their positions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in aperture
a place in a surface allowing passage into or through a thing
an opening in the roof is letting rain drip inside
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in gap
an open space in a barrier (as a wall or hedge)
the rabbit found a little opening in the bushes and darted through
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in initial
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in unlocking
to change from a closed to an open position
please open the door to let the cat out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clearing
to make passage through (something) possible by removing obstructions
we need to open this drain that's clogged with hair
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in expanding
to arrange the parts of (something) over a wider area
when we got too close, the cardinal opened its wings and flew to a higher branch
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in freeing
to rid the surface of (as an area) from things in the way
snowplows opened the runway without much trouble
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in beginning
to take the first step in (a process or course of action)
we will open the proceedings tomorrow with a short ceremony
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of opening
Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Jan. 2025
Born of an amusement ride and opening to the public in 2026, this remarkably clever kiwi idea offers quick, cheap, on-demand urban transit – that's much more direct and private than public transport.
—New Atlas, 15 Jan. 2025
Jordan Greene, People.com, 24 Dec. 2024
This ensured the Canucks entered the middle frame on even terms despite generating just two five-on-five shots in the opening 20 minutes.
—Harman Dayal, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for opening 
Noun
Mexico City With the opening of its third Cablebús line in September 2024, Mexico City’s cable car transit system can now send over 100,000 people per day flying over its urban landscape of more than nine million people.
—Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Jan. 2025
Born of an amusement ride and opening to the public in 2026, this remarkably clever kiwi idea offers quick, cheap, on-demand urban transit – that's much more direct and private than public transport.
—New Atlas, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
Last year, after opening her 17th dress, Ava decided to film an OOTD with her dad and share it on TikTok.
—Jordan Greene, People.com, 24 Dec. 2024
This ensured the Canucks entered the middle frame on even terms despite generating just two five-on-five shots in the opening 20 minutes.
—Harman Dayal, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for opening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opening
Noun
-
The Dodgers’ facility remains the epicenter of baseball opportunity here, which can make players wary of having outside contact with scouts from other organizations like Gillespie.—
Greg Presto,
The Athletic,
16 Jan. 2025
-
The clock is ticking, but the opportunity to strike the right deal is still within reach.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
16 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Kyiv's military intelligence agency has extensively used synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites to coordinate its long-range drone strikes on Russia, as Newsweek previously reported.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
Newsweek,
10 Jan. 2025
-
Sharp shooters with relatively fast aperture, producing clean shots at the wide (main and selfie camera), or 85mm telephoto (3X zoom) focal length.—
Ben Sin,
Forbes,
3 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Smaller grains mean a far greater number of them, as well as a larger number of the tiny gaps between them.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
23 Jan. 2025
-
And yet, for the first time since that gap began to open, Notre Dame has an honest chance to go all the way.—
Pete Sampson,
The Athletic,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
The initial court ruled in favor of Chylak in October 2024.—
Hikmat Mohammed,
WWD,
17 Jan. 2025
-
Israel and Hamas have struck a deal for an initial cease-fire that will pause hostilities for six weeks and lead to the release of 33 hostages.—
The Editors,
National Review,
17 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Financial clout is not an issue, but unlocking the riches of being in the Champions League and its revenue is an ongoing challenge.—
Jacob Tanswell,
The Athletic,
26 Dec. 2024
-
These investigations are crucial for unlocking further secrets of the universe.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Thousands of Starbucks baristas are set to walk off the job on Tuesday, expanding the dayslong holiday strike to 300 stores in dozens of cities and towns nationwide, according to the union Starbucks Workers United.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
24 Dec. 2024
-
Many are expanding across markets.—
Alex Lazarow,
Forbes,
24 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
The academy also says that beginning in 2026, a main title theme must be used in at least half of eligible episodes to be considered for an Emmy.—
Rick Porter,
The Hollywood Reporter,
8 Jan. 2025
-
Clothing makers will have to collect, transport, repair, sort, recycle and otherwise manage the end-of-life of their products beginning in 2030.—
Lewis Perkins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
And now that idea has its chance to come to life in a big way in Chicago.—
Dan Wiederer,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Jan. 2025
-
After the performance, the group had the chance to go backstage and meet Chappelle.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
20 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near opening
Cite this Entry
“Opening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opening. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.
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