opened

past tense of open
1
2
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

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of opened In June, the group opened a series of arena dates ahead of Turnpike Troubadours and Muscadine Bloodline. — Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026 Sayegh, who owns the five-screen cinema in Cranford, near to New York City, will mark the centennial with a throwback screening of Padlocked, the silent film that opened the theater’s doors on November 29, 1926, with an accompanying organ player. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2026 Morgan opened the scoring with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Feaster before connecting with Aiden Schomp for a 10-yard score to make it 14-0. — ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026 The Citadel Teaching Commons, a lab and study space, opened on the university’s Pittsburgh campus in 2015. — Austin Horn, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2026 Sayin completed 27 of 36 passes for 367 yards and scored a rushing touchdown as the Buckeyes (3-1, 1-0) opened Big Ten play with a victory for the 15th straight season. — Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2026 The backstory Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort opened in 1959 as Aruba's first large hotel, designed by architect Morris Lapidus, the same mind behind Miami's Fontainebleau and Eden Roc. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Sep. 2026 At Métier, the British leather-goods maker that opened a New York City store earlier this year, the Passerby North-South ($2,950) won my loyalty. — Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 26 Sep. 2026 The show opened with those people walking right to left, as the collection's models walked against the crowd, left to right. — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 26 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opened
Verb
  • Then, new drilling and hydraulic fracturing methods unlocked oil stored in layers of shale.
    — The Conversation, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Earlier that day, Loro Piana unlocked the beautiful Biblioteca Nazionale Braidense, an exquisitely serene setting for their presentation.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Thick clouds threatened all morning to halt the countdown but in the end, the skies cleared enough to allow for a safe liftoff.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Castro, who is running for a second term, has denied any wrongdoing in that matter and believes she will eventually be cleared.
    — Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Through the development and community adoption of RPO, RoboParty expanded its technical capabilities to cover core actuators, robot bodies, motion control, dexterous manipulation and robotics software systems.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Trump has expanded that all around the room, stacking the walls with portraits including those of George Washington, Andrew Jackson and Benjamin Franklin.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The death in a helicopter crash of Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo, his wife and three others has reverberated across government and industry circles on the continent, as investigators began examining what caused the aircraft to go down.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026
  • When Tian’s solo project began gaining traction, Cui was pursuing a master’s in computer science and machine learning at the University of Toronto and working on autonomous-vehicle research.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Georgia and Ohio temporarily suspended state taxes on gasoline and regular diesel, while Indiana extended its suspension on gasoline sales taxes.
    — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Kaʻimi Fairbairn's 39-yard field goal on Houston's next drive extended the lead to 13-6.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The mountain, known to the Indigenous inhabitants of the region as the Six Grandfathers, was considered sacred, and construction commenced over the vehement objections of Native Americans.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Circle has commenced a search for its next CFO with the assistance of an executive search firm.
    — Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Passengers described a tense scene aboard the aircraft as the emergency unfolded.
    — Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Online video footage shot from the stands shows that the man was standing in front of his seat as the play unfolded.
    — Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The last time the Chargers started 0-4 was 2017, their first season back in Los Angeles.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Excluding immigration impact, the population decline has already started.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 5 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Opened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opened. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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