open up

opened up; opening up; opens up

Definition of open up

transitive verb

1 : to make available or possible The discovery opens up the possibility of new cures.

2 : to make plain or visible : disclose

3 : to open by cutting into

intransitive verb

1 : to become available or possible The hostess will let us know when a table opens up.

2 : to spread out or come into view The road opens up ahead.

3 : to commence firing

4 : to become communicative tried to get the patient to open up

Examples of open up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web By contrast, Amazon and other companies have sought to open up widespread package deliveries by pushing for federal certification of specific models or families of drones, which then could be used broadly without additional FAA approvals. — Andy Pasztor, WSJ, "FAA Moves Toward Certifying Specific Drones for Package Deliveries," 3 Feb. 2020 USA TODAY Demi Lovato is opening up about her journey to self-discovery. — Sara M Moniuszko, USA TODAY, "Demi Lovato recounts coming out to her parents in 2017: 'Emotional, but really beautiful'," 31 Jan. 2020 If Trump wins a second term, some Cuba watchers wonder if the businessman who at one point tried to open up a hotel on the island might change tact and decide to pursue his own détente. — Patrick Oppmann, CNN, "Why Cuba is watching America's election race so closely," 29 Jan. 2020 Now, in a new interview featured on Gayle King's The Gayle King Grammy Special, the singer is opening up even more. — Elizabeth Gulino, refinery29.com, "Billie Eilish Says She Had Suicidal Thoughts Last Year," 25 Jan. 2020 Tori Roloff is opening up about her daughter Lilah Ray‘s birth. — Helen Murphy, PEOPLE.com, "Tori Roloff Confirms Daughter Lilah Is a Little Person, Explains C-Section Was Due to 'Dwarfism'," 23 Jan. 2020 As Disney+, Apple TV+ and other subscription video-on-demand services begin to do battle with Netflix for the global SVOD market, the fight for online advertising is opening up a new front in the streaming wars. — Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, "Peacock Signals New "Gold Rush" For Ad-Supported Streaming," 17 Jan. 2020 Inclusion Coffee is opening up about a mile away from the UT-Arlington campus and sits right across from the George W. Hawkes Downtown Library. — Narda Pérez, Dallas News, "New Arlington coffee shop will cater to students with late hours and half-price refills," 13 Jan. 2020 Now, Reba, 64, is opening up more about that tough moment in her life. — Megan Stein, Country Living, "Reba McEntire Got Candid About Experiencing 'A Lot of Lows' After Her Divorce," 12 Jan. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'open up.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

6 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Open up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/open%20up. Accessed 19 Feb. 2020.

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