freely available for use or participation by all
the lanes at the bowling alley will be open during the afternoon, but will be available only for league play in the evening
How does the adjective open contrast with its synonyms?
Some common synonyms of open are exposed, liable, prone, sensitive, subject, and susceptible. While all these words mean "being by nature or through circumstances likely to experience something adverse," open stresses a lack of barriers preventing incurrence.
a claim open to question
When could exposed be used to replace open?
The words exposed and open can be used in similar contexts, but exposed suggests lack of protection or powers of resistance against something actually present or threatening.
exposed to infection
When can liable be used instead of open?
While in some cases nearly identical to open, liable implies a possibility or probability of incurring something because of position, nature, or particular situation.
liable to get lost
When would prone be a good substitute for open?
While the synonyms prone and open are close in meaning, prone stresses natural tendency or propensity to incur something.
prone to delay
When might sensitive be a better fit than open?
The words sensitive and open are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, sensitive implies a readiness to respond to or be influenced by forces or stimuli.
unduly sensitive to criticism
When is subject a more appropriate choice than open?
In some situations, the words subject and open are roughly equivalent. However, subject implies an openness for any reason to something that must be suffered or undergone.
all reports are subject to review
When is it sensible to use susceptible instead of open?
The meanings of susceptible and open largely overlap; however, susceptible implies conditions existing in one's nature or individual constitution that make incurrence probable.
very susceptible to flattery
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of open
Verb
One Gamine fragrance, Heroic Dose, opens with fresh cypress, blue hemp, and salty marine air, but underneath lies an earthy, gritty complexity brought in by cumin and vetiver bourbon.—
Parizaad Khan Sethi,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 July 2026 That opened to a remarkable $81 million domestically, which is great but pretty easily surpassable for The Odyssey.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
17 July 2026
Adjective
Bob Buddecke, president and CEO of Electronic Solutions at Honeywell Aerospace, said the digital cockpit was designed to support future technologies through an open and expandable framework.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
16 July 2026 The interest wasn’t one-sided, because her husband was also immediately open to the idea of adoption, said Brown.—
Anna Zucca,
Vanity Fair,
16 July 2026
Noun
Before that, Robert MacIntyre pulled off a thrilling comeback to win his national open, a result that left him emotional.—
Brody Miller,
New York Times,
8 July 2026 Once that reality came into the open, the conversations changed.—
Mehmet Egilmezer,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for open
Compared to skunks and coyotes, raccoons were the quickest to discover that tapping the left button would release food, with most of the eight raccoon subjects unlocking the puzzle within one or two attempts.
—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 July 2026
But that’s Nolan, who’s always going to lead with his head and who even here circles around the sacking of Troy like the eventual sight of it will unlock all the anguish its protagonist feels but can’t express.
The gateway earns its place where an integration is shared, permissioned, observable or reused across many agents, and buyers should be honest about how much of their tool access clears that bar.
—
Janakiram MSV,
Forbes.com,
6 July 2026
During first-half stoppage time, Mexicos’ César Montes received the ball inside the six-yard box, but Bellingham cleared what looked like a certain goal.
The Office of the State Auditor maintained that its interest in a Midland site was based on expanding geographic access to early voting, not dictating the county’s final plan.
—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
18 July 2026
Although revenues have expanded substantially, income needs to continue growing rapidly for Newcastle to sustain a higher salary base and regularly sign the best players.
—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
18 July 2026
Backed by Apollo and freed from quarterly scrutiny, CEO David Boone’s fast pivot is delivering double-digit sales and earnings gains.
—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
17 July 2026
Others, though—Cahun and Moore, but also Victor Brauner—saw how fascism was inextricable from patriarchal power, and sought to free themselves from the confines of gender altogether.
In addition to its ongoing pursuit of LeBron James, the Heat also would like to add another veteran shooter and another veteran big man but might begin the season with only 14 under contract.
—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
18 July 2026
Construction is expected to begin in summer 2026 and be completed by early 2027.
Not all pads are alike, but a footprint on the larger side involves five to ten acres of cleared, packed ground that serves as the hub for drilling equipment, which can include wellheads, pump jacks, tanks, wastewater storage pits, trailers, and flare stacks.
The move follows months of public discussion, including an online survey — open through July 15, a community meeting and feedback from the Zoning Commission, which recommended denying the current draft proposal to allow additional review.
—
Ken Molestina,
CBS News,
14 July 2026
The department didn’t provide details on why the officer believed Guerrero was a public safety risk.
Unlike wealthy nations with the reserves and infrastructure to buffer the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, import-dependent economies are more vulnerable to immediate, cascading supply chain shocks.
—
Sophia Saifi,
CNN Money,
16 July 2026
Adopted by the Atlanta City Council this spring, the initiative offers a framework to hold the city accountable for protecting workers’ rights and address the needs of vulnerable populations, among other goals, during World Cup games.
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