ˈōp-niŋ
1
as in opportunity
a favorable combination of circumstances, time, and place
the talk show host's usual modus operandi is to talk over his guests, thereby denying them an opening to articulate their positions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in aperture
a place in a surface allowing passage into or through a thing
an opening in the roof is letting rain drip inside
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in gap
an open space in a barrier (as a wall or hedge)
the rabbit found a little opening in the bushes and darted through
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in initial
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in unlocking
to change from a closed to an open position
please open the door to let the cat out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clearing
to make passage through (something) possible by removing obstructions
we need to open this drain that's clogged with hair
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in expanding
to arrange the parts of (something) over a wider area
when we got too close, the cardinal opened its wings and flew to a higher branch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in freeing
to rid the surface of (as an area) from things in the way
snowplows opened the runway without much trouble
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in beginning
to take the first step in (a process or course of action)
we will open the proceedings tomorrow with a short ceremony
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of opening
Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Continue reading … FROM FOX SPORTS – Five NFL head coaches have been fired this week, bringing the total number of openings to seven.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 Jan. 2026
With one chapter closing and hints of another opening, or rather re-opening, where's Emily headed to next?
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 19 Dec. 2025
Rod Stafford Hagwood, Sun Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2026
But there’s been a noticeable uptick in the team’s willingness to hit their blue-collar big man on rolls to the rim, which is opening an underutilized dimension of an offense that stagnated in the weeks leading up to their back-to-back wins over the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for opening
Noun
This can be an attractive opening, as Schoen himself suggested.
—Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Continue reading … FROM FOX SPORTS – Five NFL head coaches have been fired this week, bringing the total number of openings to seven.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
The device, revealed on the opening day of CES in Las Vegas, is designed to sense and interpret brain activity in real time, offering players insights into focus, attention, and cognitive performance during gameplay.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 6 Jan. 2026
With one chapter closing and hints of another opening, or rather re-opening, where's Emily headed to next?
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 19 Dec. 2025
Verb
The Mele brothers fermented their dough-of-an-idea, presenting it to the city of Fort Lauderdale after opening a Pummarola location here and Emily’s Garden in the same neighborhood as Esplanade Park, where the inaugural Pizza Fest will be staged.
—Rod Stafford Hagwood, Sun Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2026
But there’s been a noticeable uptick in the team’s willingness to hit their blue-collar big man on rolls to the rim, which is opening an underutilized dimension of an offense that stagnated in the weeks leading up to their back-to-back wins over the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for opening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opening
Noun
-
More opportunity means more decisions with real downside.—
Melissa Houston,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Gallup data shows a similar tilt with more Americans viewing AI as a threat rather than opportunity.—
Trevor Laurence Jockims,
CNBC,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But another unique aspect of BAFTAs are its British-specific categories like Outstanding British Film and Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer, which widen the aperture of what films BAFTA voters consider as awards contenders.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
28 Jan. 2026
-
This is the type of storm that can tighten the aperture of people’s lives for a time.—
Nancy Walecki,
The Atlantic,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Its dual mission is to bridge the early-stage funding gap and guarantee global access, ensuring products aren’t confined to wealthy markets for decades but are introduced in low- and middle-income countries in parallel.—
Ana Castelain,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
-
That gap lies between mathematical modelling and real human perception.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
These two agents appear to be the two officers identified as the shooters in an initial report by the Department of Homeland Security about the incident.—
Yahya Abou-Ghazala,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
-
During an initial court appearance Thursday, a judge granted the government's request to detain Kazmierczak pending a detention hearing Tuesday.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But high-resolution Surveying—gathering exhaustive and detailed information about a very narrow topic—is the key to unlocking the learning potential of imitation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Executives from top British banks and manufacturers are joining Starmer, who plans to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday with a goal of unlocking more export business for UK firms.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The city reached a settlement with the nonprofit LA Alliance in 2022, agreeing to create 12,915 homeless shelter beds or other housing opportunities, while also clearing thousands of encampments.—
Sandra McDonald,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Now, though, my snow days look like a combination of shoveling and clearing my car and then wrapping up in multiple blankets to stay cozy with a great book or TV show.—
Carly Totten,
Better Homes & Gardens,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Camp Lucy, a Texas Wine Country resort, is also expanding with the debut of Folklore, a new spa experience blending wellness, color therapy and social connection.—
Laura Begley Bloom,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Levine Cava also pointed to Miami-Dade's expanding economy, fueled in part by major international events such as Formula One races at Hard Rock Stadium and upcoming FIFA World Cup matches.—
Nikiya Carrero,
CBS News,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In their prior five SEC losses, opponents largely controlled the game from beginning to end.—
Ethan Westerman,
Arkansas Online,
1 Feb. 2026
-
An intense arctic cold front will move through South Florida beginning Saturday morning and move into the Florida Straits by Saturday night.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Opening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opening. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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