OPENING Synonyms: 244 Similar and Opposite Words

opening 1 of 3

noun

ˈōp-niŋ

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

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Relevance

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

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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

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opening

2 of 3

adjective

as in initial

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Dissimilar Words

opening

3 of 3

verb

present participle of open

as in unlocking

to change from a closed to an open position please open the door to let the cat out

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as in clearing

to make passage through (something) possible by removing obstructions we need to open this drain that's clogged with hair

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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

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as in freeing

to rid the surface of (as an area) from things in the way snowplows opened the runway without much trouble

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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

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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 opening

Noun

But within days of Meraki opening near the Fort Worth Zoo, Beren Meze & Grill brought a new Turkish restaurant to the Near Southside. —

Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Apr. 2026 Their best defense in the opening period Saturday was a relentless, sustained attack that resulted in a 1-0 lead midway through the first. —

Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 5 Apr. 2026

Adjective

The official Starlink shop also briefly de-listed the Router Mini before re-opening sales, but at the $100 price. —

Brian Westover, PC Magazine, 19 Mar. 2026 Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public since succeeding his father, who was killed in the opening day of the war. —

Dallas Morning News, 17 Mar. 2026

Verb

Concerns grow in Charlotte’s Iranian-American community As of Tuesday afternoon, Iranian leaders showed no public signs of opening the waterway, even with the deadline only hours away. —

Charlotte Observer, 7 Apr. 2026 His parents prospered, opening a fur shop called Paris-New York and moving to the tony Sixteenth Arrondissement. —

Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for opening

Recent Examples of Synonyms for opening

Noun

Shifting the Hornets’ mentality Charlotte heads into the final weekend of the 2025-26 regular-season calendar, semi ahead of schedule with an opportunity to make some noise in the postseason for the first time in a decade.

— Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 9 Apr. 2026
Strategic opportunity, legal risk Environmental groups say the risks extend beyond criminal financing to broader ecological destruction if foreign investment accelerates extraction.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2026