opens

present tense third-person singular of open
1
2
3
as in expands
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 frees
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 opens Each recommendation appears directly within the chat, and tapping a selection instantly opens the Spotify app for seamless listening. Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2025 The lawsuit opens a new front in the legal battles the White House is waging against state and local officials, coming just hours after a federal judge blocked a similar deployment of the guard to Portland, Oregon. Dakin Andone, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2025 Featuring 136 narrative features, documentaries and shorts from around the world, the program opens on Halloween with a double header. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2025 The novel opens as the teenage Karl Rossmann, whose parents shipped him off to America for fathering a child when he was seduced by the family’s thirty-five-year-old cook, arrives on a steamer in New York harbor and sees the Statue of Liberty holding not the emblematic torch but rather a sword. Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2025 Each of its first two seasons opens with multiple—some might say too many—episodes reenacting the central crimes with a level of self-aware salaciousness that makes the typical TV-MA docudrama look like children’s programming. Judy Berman, Time, 6 Oct. 2025 Event parking opens three hours before the concert. Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 6 Oct. 2025 The show, which opens Tuesday, arrives Off-Broadway after its initial debut at the Fringe Festival at Edinburgh last summer. Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2025 To that end, the season opens with Paolo Bortolameolli, associate conductor of the LA Philharmonic, returning in the guest conductor role. Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opens
Verb
  • Sánchez’s changeup is the pitch that unlocks everything else for him, and has been particularly lethal at home at Citizens Bank Park.
    Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
  • Joining Prime not only gives you access to exclusive discounts during the event, but also unlocks year-round benefits like fast, free shipping, Prime Video, Prime Reading and Prime Gaming.
    Christine Persaud, USA Today, 27 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Working up a sweat also clears my mind like nothing else.
    Millie Peartree, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Milan City Council passed a vote approving the sale of San Siro to Inter and Milan on Tuesday, which clears the path for the construction of a new stadium on the site.
    James Horncastle, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Its extendable tabletop expands to give you extra room when entertaining, while two drawers tuck away remotes and other essentials.
    Jacqueline Tempera, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Oct. 2025
  • Throughout this month, the collaboration expands with a robust lineup of experiential programming, including live performances with Gibson, a Maxbone Joy happy hour, a special Derrick Adams x Bookmarc moment, among other events.
    Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • This novel approach frees up internal space, allowing for a higher concentration of active cathode materials — nickel, cobalt, and aluminum — within the same battery volume.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 Sep. 2025
  • More broadly, Dash argues that backing for-profit companies can still be an engine for societal change, such as his investment in the health tech company Abridge, which frees up doctors’ time by eliminating menial tasks.
    Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • As if the local deer population had enough to worry about as the bow hunting season begins, now a disease is spreading between them.
    Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 5 Oct. 2025
  • This 84-mile loop begins and ends in Taos and traverses the high alpine desert of northern New Mexico and several mountain towns, including Angel Fire, Eagle Nest, Questa, and Red River.
    Taryn White, Travel + Leisure, 5 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Though funding for aid programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, has been approved for October, said Emily Weikert Bryant, executive director of Feeding Indiana's Hungry, the program may be in trouble if the shutdown extends beyond that month.
    Marissa Meador, IndyStar, 1 Oct. 2025
  • From there, Hawes extends his arms and drives the defensive end out of contention for making the play.
    Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Of course, things will continue to change as non-conference play mostly wraps up and the conference slate commences in earnest in the next couple of weeks.
    Tom Layberger, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • There’s now just one last day of preseason games before the NFL commences its regular season.
    Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The decoy unfolds from a compact square box and inflates into a full-size F-35 replica within minutes.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2025
  • As Combs’s legal case unfolds, his children have rallied around him, defending their father while fiercely protecting Porter’s legacy.
    Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Opens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opens. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

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