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

Videos show collision, parachutes opening in the sky Photos and videos shared on social media showed the two fighter jets colliding midair before spinning and crashing to the ground, causing a fiery explosion and large plumes of black smoke to billow into the sky. —

Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 17 May 2026 Montreal went 3-1 in Tampa in the opening round, and the Sabres went 3-0 in Boston. —

Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 17 May 2026

Adjective

The announcement was made on the opening day of the Beijing Auto Show 2026. —

Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2026 On the opening day of the war, the base, known as Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain, was struck multiple times. —

Steve Walsh, NPR, 3 Apr. 2026

Verb

First up is a takeover of the Hotel Martinez pier, opening Tuesday and running through June 14. —

Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 12 May 2026 Does opening the festival bring extra pressure or stress? —

Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for opening

Recent Examples of Synonyms for opening

Noun

Many see Jordan as a way station to permanent resettlement in Canada, the United States, or Europe, where the economic opportunities are better.

— Annie Hylton, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
This role gives him the opportunity to explore different departments before eventually committing to a specialty.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026