opens

verb

present tense third-person singular of open
1
as in unlocks
to change from a closed to an open position please open the door to let the cat out

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clears
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 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

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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
as in begins
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

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 College football won’t be the same in Evanston after this place opens, regardless of how many games Northwestern wins or loses, and that might be true a lot further afield, too. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026 Dragon Tiny Homes Its glass-door entrance opens onto its living room. — New Atlas, 6 Sep. 2026 Crafted from the finest, lightest tweed, the dress—chosen by stylist Ramona Tabita—features a sumptuous knotted structure that opens into a generous back neckline and culminates in a majestic train that skims the red carpet. — Giacomo Aricò, Vogue, 5 Sep. 2026 Spending picks up ahead of the hunting season that opens in October. — Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2026 And because everything has to be confusing, the NBC lineup opens with a Wednesday night season premiere. — Takashi Williams, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026 But its most useful feature is a side zipper which opens vertically to the main compartment of the backpack. — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 4 Sep. 2026 This week, just steps from the garden, Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech (mYSLm), a 43,000-square-foot museum designed by the architectural firm Studio KO, opens its doors to the public. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2026 The Athletics are on their way to Las Vegas via West Sacramento in 2028 when a new $2 billion ballpark on the Strip opens. — Barry M. Bloom, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opens
  1. unlocks
  2. clears
  3. expands
  4. frees
  5. begins
  6. extends
  7. commences
  8. unfolds
Verb
  • For Anthropic, the deal unlocks additional future processing power ahead of the company’s planned IPO.
    — J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • For Kickstarter stretch goals, reaching $50,000 with 250 backers unlocks one additional filter for all backers, while $100,000 with 500 backers unlocks three.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of unlocks
Verb
  • Series 4000 clears endurance tests The Series 4000 earned certification after completing two 720-hour durability tests, demonstrating its ability to operate through extended autonomous missions.
    — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026
  • That clears the runway for Marc Jacobs, which G-III and partner WHP Global bought from LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton in a pair of deals that closed Tuesday and totaled roughly $925 million.
    — Evan Clark, Footwear News, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of clears
Verb
  • Hydropower capacity expands China has continued adding hydropower capacity as part of its broader clean-energy expansion.
    — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Based on the legend of the Chinese goddess Chang’e, this book reimagines and expands the myth to center her daughter, Xingyin, who flees her home and embarks on a bold adventure to save her mother while training in enemy territory.
    — Chloe Gong, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of expands
Verb
  • That frees the company up to try to build new monopolies in AI, and the current DOJ doesn’t seem very interested in standing in the way of Big Tech.
    — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Scott allowed Elordi and Brolin to play with their dialogue and relationship and captured it all using four to six cameras at a time, an approach Scott says frees the actors up for happy accidents and helps give life to the humor.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of frees
Verb
  • As Georgia’s college campuses are bustling with students again, this edition of the AJC On Campus roundup begins with a $250,000 settlement.
    — Jason Armesto, AJC.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The resort begins clearing the beach before sunrise each morning, but nature doesn't always cooperate.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of begins
Verb
  • Their devotion to knotty specifics of academia extends to casting a real-life academic — Anne-Laure Sellier, currently a professor of behavioral sciences at HEC Paris business school — in the lead.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Although the Eagles came up short on the scoreboard, head coach Irwin Garcia said the program’s focus extends beyond wins and losses.
    — Raul Avila, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of extends
Verb
  • This tender novel of intimacy and its risks begins in Boston in 1969, as Eve, a dancer, commences an affair with a colleague—an indiscretion that spurs her husband, a journalist named Gabe, to cheat, too.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The Jet Set to the Beekman package commences with a Blade helicopter flight to Pier 11 in Lower Manhattan (from eligible departure points), where a house car will then take you to the Beekman’s West Turret penthouse.
    — Spencer Whaley, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of commences
Verb
  • Within that room unfolds the tale of the Swiss architect of the title, told in occasionally laborious ways.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 6 Sep. 2026
  • McLaughlin’s most notable change concerns the frame of the play, which now unfolds in a disaster relief center.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of unfolds

Browse Nearby Words

openness
opens
open secret
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Cite this Entry

“Opens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opens. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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