1
as in unlocked
to change from a closed to an open position
please open the door to let the cat out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cleared
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 expanded
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 freed
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 began
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
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Recent Examples of opened
In response to the growth of Russia’s dissent émigré community, new Russian language bookstores have opened from Prague to London.
—
Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
The latest private-members country club to have opened in Oxfordshire, wrapped in a Jacobethan hall with parkland, is a humdinger with an instant cachet.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 May 2026
The Despaigne knockout opened the main card, which means there's still plenty of action ahead.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
Acquiring Brooks’ archive is a coup for the National Comedy Center, a nonprofit cultural institution that opened its doors in 2018 in Jamestown in Western New York, which is the hometown of Lucille Ball.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 17 May 2026
This is one of the longest-standing Filipino restaurants in Little Manila, opened in 1992 by Renee and Ernesto Dizon, who wanted to serve the neighborhood’s growing population of immigrant nurses.
—Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 11 May 2026
Kelsey Plum scored 11 of her 27 points in the fourth quarter, but by then the Aces had opened a 20-plus point lead.
—Marisa Ingemi, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026
The facility opened in 2019, just before the outbreak of COVID-19.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 11 May 2026
The constitutional revision was approved during a session of North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly, which opened March 22 in Pyongyang, the outlet said.
—Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 10 May 2026
Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
The latest private-members country club to have opened in Oxfordshire, wrapped in a Jacobethan hall with parkland, is a humdinger with an instant cachet.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 May 2026
The Despaigne knockout opened the main card, which means there's still plenty of action ahead.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 17 May 2026
Acquiring Brooks’ archive is a coup for the National Comedy Center, a nonprofit cultural institution that opened its doors in 2018 in Jamestown in Western New York, which is the hometown of Lucille Ball.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 17 May 2026
This is one of the longest-standing Filipino restaurants in Little Manila, opened in 1992 by Renee and Ernesto Dizon, who wanted to serve the neighborhood’s growing population of immigrant nurses.
—Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, 11 May 2026
Kelsey Plum scored 11 of her 27 points in the fourth quarter, but by then the Aces had opened a 20-plus point lead.
—Marisa Ingemi, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026
The facility opened in 2019, just before the outbreak of COVID-19.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 11 May 2026
The constitutional revision was approved during a session of North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly, which opened March 22 in Pyongyang, the outlet said.
—Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 10 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opened
Verb
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But 21% had at least one firearm in the house unlocked and loaded - the least safe way possible to store a gun.—
Rhitu Chatterjee,
NPR,
12 May 2026
-
Our team had intimate conversations with ChatGPT, regarded as taboo, which unlocked the insight that people want to be fully seen without being judged or penalized.—
Sarah DaVanzo,
Rolling Stone,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
The former junkyard is seen as ripe for future redevelopment, but an environmental clean-up is clearly a costly hurdle to be cleared.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
17 May 2026
-
Joe had been trying to keep Ospreay away from The Death Riders in recent weeks as Ospreay trained with the group in order to get cleared to return to an AEW ring.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Efforts have picked up in recent years to limit ownership, including in Utah, where its Republican governor, Spencer Cox, signed a bill into law that expanded previous foreign restrictions.—
Gabe Kaminsky,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
-
Brazil’s criminal organizations Comando Vermelho and Primeiro Comando da Capital have expanded aggressively across the Amazon over the past decade and now dominate key trafficking corridors linking coca-growing regions in Colombia and Peru to Atlantic ports used to ship cocaine to Europe.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2026
Verb
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In the late 1970s, there began a set of processes which restored the autonomy of financial capital, reset the purpose of politics, and generated a number of formidable new competitors to the nation-state.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
As the play died down, a female fan decked out in White Sox gear reportedly began mercilessly heckling the 24-year-old outfielder.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
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The disparities also extended to preventable deaths before age 75, including deaths tied to drug overdoses, car crashes and treatable illnesses.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 May 2026
-
While it’s suggested early on that Phil has a temper on the ice, flashbacks show viewers that his anger and violence extended to his family as well.—
Katie Mannion,
PEOPLE,
14 May 2026
Verb
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In an interview with People magazine published Wednesday, May 13, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos reflected on authorities' progress in the high-profile search operation, which commenced in early February after Nancy Guthrie was reported missing from her home in Arizona.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
-
If dopamine neurons in the basal ganglia degenerate as happens in Parkinson’s disease, movements become harder to initiate and slower once they are commenced.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
Verb
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At the same time, however, the study documented dimming events including in Ukraine and Gaza as wars unfolded, in Venezuela as the economy collapsed, and in parts of Europe when governments enacted energy conservation mandates following the Russia-Ukraine war.—
Bree Shirvell,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
-
The March 27 accident unfolded when Woods tried to pass a truck in front of him, authorities said.—
Emily Shapiro,
ABC News,
12 May 2026
Verb
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That marked the weakest growth since December 2022, according to Wind data, as China started to loosen its Covid curbs.—
Anniek Bao,Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
-
Then, in 2021, I was given the opportunity through a connection at The New York Times to submit an essay about a local organization I’d started six years prior called the Donkey Soccer League.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Opened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opened. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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