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
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
as in initial
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of opening
David Sims, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2025
For instance, by happenstance, on the opening day of IBC filmmaker Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave) began continuously projecting Occupied City, his 32-hour documentary about the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam on the outside walls of the Rijksmuseum, the Netherlands’ most distinguished museum.
—David Bloom, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2025
With multiple openings on the Mets coaching staff, former Mets All-Star infielder Edgardo Alfonzo wants to join Carlos Mendoza in the dugout, according to amNewYork.
—Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 2 Oct. 2025
Tesla had a first-mover advantage in China in 2013, leveraging the government’s support of EVs with subsidies and incentives and its production base and opening a gigafactory in Shanghai in 2019.
—Rebecca A. Fannin, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opening
Noun
All of that is just the opening salvo of the film, delivered with breakneck assurance by Anderson.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2025
For instance, by happenstance, on the opening day of IBC filmmaker Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave) began continuously projecting Occupied City, his 32-hour documentary about the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam on the outside walls of the Rijksmuseum, the Netherlands’ most distinguished museum.
—David Bloom, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
Carbon removal is also one of the few corners of cleantech where China has yet to dominate, Corless said, leaving an opening for other countries to seize.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2025
With multiple openings on the Mets coaching staff, former Mets All-Star infielder Edgardo Alfonzo wants to join Carlos Mendoza in the dugout, according to amNewYork.
—Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Where is Ollie's Bargain Outlet opening a new Indiana store?
—Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 2 Oct. 2025
Tesla had a first-mover advantage in China in 2013, leveraging the government’s support of EVs with subsidies and incentives and its production base and opening a gigafactory in Shanghai in 2019.
—Rebecca A. Fannin, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opening
Noun
-
The middle of the playoffs is an opportunity to make up ground.—
Tyler Palmateer,
Nashville Tennessean,
4 Oct. 2025
-
The Aces, unlike the Mercury, wouldn’t let their opportunity on their home court go to waste.—
Ben Pickman,
New York Times,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In Mint, Regan has widened the aperture and secured a buzzy cast, including a rare TV acting performance from Ben Coyle-Larner AKA hip-hop star Loyle Carner.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
8 Oct. 2025
-
These Celestron Skymaster 20x80 binoculars let in enough light for regular skywatching, thanks to their massive 80mm apertures.—
Chris McMullen,
Space.com,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
To bring it to the next level, his team aims to collaborate with clinical physicians, comparing the diagnosis outputs from machine-learning models and human doctors to identify the differences and performance gaps.—
Eve Lu,
Scientific American,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Although research from the Pew Research Center finds that the gender pay gap has narrowed in the last decade, women still earn 85% of the wages men do.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Tesla doors have been at the center of several crash cases because the battery powering the unlocking mechanism can be destroyed in a fire and the manual releases that override that system are difficult to find.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Meanwhile, what may be the oldest drawing of a birth chart was found in a cave in Croatia, dating back more than 2,000 years, which suggests an early interest in harnessing astrology as a tool for unlocking knowledge about the individual.—
Lisa Stardust,
Vogue,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
TwelveLabs’ technology uniquely reduces that friction, surfacing the right scene faster, flagging potential issues earlier, and clearing the path so creators can focus more of their energy on emotion, framing, and story arcs.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
2 Oct. 2025
-
After clearing the idea with Springsteen himself, Clinch began working on ideas to feature his most iconic photographs.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Other southern Arizona wineries are expanding with new eateries and event spaces to attract more visitors.—
Richard Ruelas,
AZCentral.com,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Now, Meta is expanding those protections beyond Instagram.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
That means Swift incorporated a portion of the pop classic's composition into her version, in this case the melody and beginning chorus lyrics.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Yet there’s nothing noticeable about him—brown hair, blue eyes, a chin just beginning to widen into adolescence—except the mix of fear and determination that shows when the camera zooms in on his face.—
Gershom Gorenberg,
The Atlantic,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Arsenal’s flanks were regularly targeted despite Jeglertz admitting the initial game plan was to sear through Arsenal’s middle.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
-
For this story, Fortune used generative AI to help with an initial draft.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Opening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opening. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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