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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of opening
Chyna Blackmon, Charlotte Observer, 28 Mar. 2025
With the rule gone, Rodon, along with other Yankees, had beards on opening day.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 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
According to a spokesperson for Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, uptown occupancy rates for on the festival’s opening day was 89.9%, 82.7% on its second and 76.3% on the the final day.
—Chyna Blackmon, Charlotte Observer, 28 Mar. 2025
With the rule gone, Rodon, along with other Yankees, had beards on opening day.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 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
-
Change for two-ways Unlike past years, the Heat’s two-way players didn’t get many NBA opportunities this season once Dru Smith sustained a season-ending Achilles injury on Dec. 12 after moving into the Heat’s starting lineup.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
29 Mar. 2025
-
The challenge is taking advantage of the rare opportunities that present themselves.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Read more Egypt Giza Pyramid Mystery Addressed by former Egyptian Official The project used synthetic aperture radar tomography and involved scientists Corrado Malanga of the University of Pisa in Italy and Filippo Biondi of the University of Strathclyde in Scotland.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Variable aperture lenses can be found on some Huawei and Xiaomi smartphones, but Samsung could make far more marketing noise if the S26 Ultra were to carry this key feature.—
Ewan Spence,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Supply chain bottlenecks and shortages of critical components—such as semiconductors and specialized machinery—have further driven up prices, highlighting the substantial gap between current book values and genuine replacement or reproduction costs.—
Mark Le Dain,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
-
The Liverpool midfielder then finds Alvarez in the gap between Nandez and Araujo.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
The Athletic,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
From the initial rumors to their recent reunion, here's a complete timeline of Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell's friendship with the most recent updates up top.—
Glamour,
Glamour,
30 Mar. 2025
-
Europe has historically lagged behind, both in the initial space race of the 1960s and 1970s and the subsequent rush by commercial companies to reach orbit.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
30 Mar. 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
-
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
-
The clock is ticking on the Bears beginning construction before this year ends.—
Brad Biggs,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
In the ’90s, a movie like this one might have had a chance to catch on.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
22 Mar. 2025
-
Don’t expect a speedy renewal of David Blaine: Do Not Attempt – at least until the title star has a chance to fully recover.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
21 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Opening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opening. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
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