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

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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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4
as in frees
to rid the surface of (as an area) from things in the way snowplows opened the runway without much trouble

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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

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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 Fort Worth house The episode opens with Kyle (Thad Luckinbill) interrogating Oleksandra (Elizaveta Neretin) about the attack at Joe’s house. — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Aug. 2026 As Dollywood opens its latest attraction, NightFlight Expedition, Dolly Parton is contending with ongoing health issues. — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 16 Aug. 2026 The entrance opens onto the living room, which contains a sofa and space for a TV and/or some cabinetry to be installed. — New Atlas, 16 Aug. 2026 When the cashier opens the register, the suspect pulls out a knife, reaches over the counter, grabs the cash, and runs off. — Jeramie Bizzle, CBS News, 16 Aug. 2026 Giannis Lift in Heat schedule, Dolphins exhibition opener, Team Messi knocked from Leagues Cup, Marlins, Lakers, FedEx Cup playoffs, Jayden Daniels’ beef, Premier League opens and more. — Greg Cote august 16, Miami Herald, 16 Aug. 2026 The three-game preseason schedule opens Saturday against the Baltimore Ravens. — Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026 The tailgate incorporates an aerodynamic wing and opens onto a 170-liter trunk. — Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026 Laugh Floor show at Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland, will shutter when Monstropolis opens, so the Glob (a play on Shakespeare’s Globe) could be the home of a replacement still starring the movie’s dynamic duo. — Mackenzie Schmidt, PEOPLE, 15 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
  • Buying in bulk when local produce is at its cheapest also unlocks longer-term savings.
    — Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The Smart Lock + Keypad 2 unlocks doors with a fingerprint, phone, or programmable code.
    — Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of unlocks
Verb
  • Kushner and Iger pivoting to Los Angeles reshapes the bidding and potentially clears the path for Walton Laurie, a Walmart heiress who brings deep pockets and a local flavor to the Vegas process.
    — Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Tesla is the only foreign brand in the market that clears both.
    — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of clears
Verb
  • These events occur when extremely hot underground water suddenly turns into steam, expands, and blasts apart the surrounding rock.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Unlike the nighttime aurora oval, which expands dramatically during geomagnetic storms, the dayside auroral oval changes much less, making displays harder to see even during active space weather.
    — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of expands
Verb
  • Start with the practical fix that frees attention for what matters next.
    — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Supported internally by the S COR polymer, the thinner face frees additional discretionary weight that can be relocated to the perimeter, further enhancing forgiveness on off-center strikes.
    — Jeff Goudy, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of frees
Verb
  • The work begins each weekday morning, when members of the 10-person research team head out to collect samples from their daily list of traps.
    — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The Championship season begins Friday, with Wolves hosting Blackburn in the opening game of what promises to be another fiercely competitive promotion race.
    — Dean Jones, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of begins
Verb
  • The trend even extends into non-League, where a tournament consisting of 45-minute games, the A23 Cup, was scheduled to take place between Slough Town, Hayes and Yeading United and Marlow Town in July.
    — George Edwards, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Tropical storms approaching Hawaii typically hit cooler ocean temperatures before reaching the islands, but Lala will remain over warmer waters due to an ongoing marine heatwave that extends to California and a developing Super El Niño.
    — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of extends
Verb
  • With a fury inside him, Garfield unleashes violence against them and commences the rebellion.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 July 2026
  • The Genesis Scottish Open commences this week at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland, as a significant co-sanctioned DP World Tour and PGA Tour event offering a $9 million purse.
    — Zach Schenfisch, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of commences
Verb
  • Granted, save for one image on a TV screen, no one wears a Green Lantern mask or outfit in the Lanterns pilot, but the wheels of its story have been in motion for decades by the time its premise unfolds.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Before a next phase of this crisis unfolds, therefore, policymakers must analyze how this resilience came to be.
    — Jason Bordoff, Foreign Affairs, 14 Aug. 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 18 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of opens for Spanish Speakers

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