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 the middle of the narrative or plot

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 opening …

—Alexa Chipman

Examples of cold open in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Saturday’s second episode, for which ratings dipped slightly, featured a cold open roasting the former Prince Andrew and was ably steered by host Jamie Dornan, who appeared in sketches including a horror comedy about Jools Holland. —Max Goldbart, Deadline, 30 Mar. 2026

This week’s cold open touched on the ongoing war in Iran. —Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026

Watch the 2026 Oscars cold open above. —Anna Chan, Billboard, 15 Mar. 2026

The sketch show kicked off its March 14 episode with a cold open featuring a family of four filling up at a gas station and struggling with the cost, prompting President Donald Trump, played by James Austin Johnson, to enter. —Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 15 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1987, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cold open

• reopen