reopen
verb
re·open
(ˌ)rē-ˈō-pən 
-ˈō-pᵊm
reopened; reopening; reopens
1
: to open again
2
a
: to take up again : resume
reopen discussion
b
: to resume discussion or consideration of
reopen a contract
3
: to begin again
: to open again
school reopens in September
Examples of reopen in a Sentence
The restaurant will reopen in April.
I'm sorry, but the store is closed. We reopen at nine on Monday.
The cut on his knee reopened when he tried to run.
The company announced plans to reopen its Detroit factory.
a procedure to reopen a clogged artery
The district attorney reopened the murder case because new evidence was found.
He wants the team to reopen his contract.
Recent Examples on the Web
Most of the inflation, however, is coming from high energy costs, which should abate when the Strait of Hormuz eventually reopens.
—
Jeff Marks,morgan Chittum, CNBC, 10 June 2026
The show then jumps ahead to the start of the next summer in Barry’s Bay, where Percy works to reopen the tavern.
—Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 10 June 2026
In contrast, the 9-year-old group would have been entering kindergarten or first grade as the pandemic’s most acute phase ended and schools reopened.
—Annie Ma, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
Scores below 80 require a re-inspection, and below 60 require closure and inspection before reopening.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for reopen
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jeff Marks,morgan Chittum, CNBC, 10 June 2026
The show then jumps ahead to the start of the next summer in Barry’s Bay, where Percy works to reopen the tavern.
—Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 10 June 2026
In contrast, the 9-year-old group would have been entering kindergarten or first grade as the pandemic’s most acute phase ended and schools reopened.
—Annie Ma, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
Scores below 80 require a re-inspection, and below 60 require closure and inspection before reopening.
—Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for reopen
Cite this Entry
“Reopen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reopen. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
reopen
verb
re·open
(ˈ)rē-ˈō-pən
-ˈōp-ᵊn
1
: to open again
2
: to take up again : resume
reopen the discussion
Legal Definition
reopen
transitive verb
re·open
ˌrē-ˈō-pən
1
: to take up again
reopen discussion
2
: to resume the discussion or consideration of (a closed matter)
reopen the contract to negotiate benefits
3
: to try or hear (an action) anew especially for the purpose of hearing new evidence
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
