cold open

noun

variants or less commonly cold opening
plural cold opens also cold openings
: a scene of a film or television episode that precedes the title sequence or opening credits and that typically takes place in medias res
Cold opens are a bold move in any medium. When a movie or TV show drops the audience into its world without so much as a "here's the title," it speaks to a confidence that whatever's about to happen on screen is sufficient enough to immerse, intrigue, and otherwise hook them.Alexis Nedd
For fans of NBC's "The Office," the cold open from season five's "Casual Friday"—where Kevin spills his famous chili—is one of the show's most beloved scenes.Addy Bink
The film lost me right from the overacted cold openingAlexa Chipman

Examples of cold open in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Following a pretty standard cold open featuring James Austin Johnson as Trump announcing his tariffs, as well as yet another appearance from Mike Myers as Elon Musk, Black took to the main Studio 8H stage as if he was being shot out of a cannon. Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 6 Apr. 2025 Tonight’s episode of Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live was filled with political zingers, with co-host Colin Jost even taking a shot at Mike Myers, who earlier appeared as Elon Musk for a second time in the show’s cold open. Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 8 Mar. 2025 In last night’s cold open, the show brought a new twist to an old satirical tradition. Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 30 Mar. 2025 Every season of the show starts with a cold open that introduces a supernatural element. Eliana Dockterman, Time, 1 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for cold open

Word History

First Known Use

1987, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cold open was in 1987

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Cite this Entry

“Cold open.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cold%20open. Accessed 31 Aug. 2025.

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