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
Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 2 Oct. 2025
Nvidia has been expanding in Taiwan, partnering with Foxconn and the government to build a 10,000-Blackwell GPU AI training and supercomputing facility in the south, opening a larger Taipei office, and collaborating with Taiwanese companies such as TSMC to build an AI infrastructure ecosystem.
—Yu-Tzu Chiu, IEEE Spectrum, 2 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
Analysts also observed that the industry remains extremely cautious in opening new factories.
—Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 2 Oct. 2025
Nvidia has been expanding in Taiwan, partnering with Foxconn and the government to build a 10,000-Blackwell GPU AI training and supercomputing facility in the south, opening a larger Taipei office, and collaborating with Taiwanese companies such as TSMC to build an AI infrastructure ecosystem.
—Yu-Tzu Chiu, IEEE Spectrum, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for opening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opening
Noun
-
Because access to opportunity is not evenly distributed, Patel adds that receiving help isn’t something to feel guilty about.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
11 Oct. 2025
-
More than 100 entrepreneurs won an opportunity at Walmart's Open Call this week to place their products on Walmart and Sam's Club shelves and e-commerce sites.—
Serenah McKay,
Arkansas Online,
11 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
-
The company said deeper integration of the systems will come over time, unlocking new capabilities across customer bases.—
Jennifer Bringle,
Sourcing Journal,
10 Oct. 2025
-
But what The Chair Company really achieves is unlocking a latent horror that’s been hanging out within that humor since, at the very least, the Darmine Doggy Door sketch.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The commission unanimously agreed to fine Levy with a different penalty, a total of $1,428,750 for a combination of other violations that include clearing vegetation for a parking lot, installing unpermitted fencing on state land, building the pickleball court and more.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Oct. 2025
-
That could easily mean that thousands of UPS packages every day are not clearing customs on their first try.—
Kayla Steinberg,
NBC news,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The partnership is now expanding to include all 32 NHL teams, featuring more than 20 new apparel styles, as well as accessories such as bags, bottles, and hats.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Oct. 2025
-
Building or expanding power plants to generate that much electricity on Altman’s timetable indeed seems almost inconceivable.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
His dad raced, and Vinson followed in his father’s footsteps beginning at age 14 before eventually stopping to focus on his career as an educator, first as a teacher and coach, then eventually an administrator, principal and now a superintendent.—
Jordan Bianchi,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
-
And down in Best Supporting Actress, this is good news for everyone, but especially Teyana Taylor, who owns the beginning of One Battle and was beginning to seem crowded out by her co-star’s praise.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
With more than 600 million copies of the books sold worldwide, and everything related to them continuing to do well years after the initial release of the books, one wonders how this series remains popular despite the deluge of young adult novels (and controversy) that followed it.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
12 Oct. 2025
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In an email, Uber said Rinderknecht passed his initial background check in 2023.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Opening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opening. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.
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