OPENS Synonyms: 130 Similar and Opposite Words

opens

verb

present tense third-person singular of open

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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Relevance

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as in clears

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 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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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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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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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 Fights are then slotted roughly every 20 to 30 minutes, the same staggered build these DAZN boxing cards tend to follow, so the headliners are still hours away when the broadcast opens. —

Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026 The heavy metal doors creak as Faye, the regional health official, opens them. —

Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 13 June 2026 Trump also plans individual meetings on the sidelines of the summit, which opens Monday, with the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and United Arab Emirates to discuss efforts to wind down the Iran war. —

ABC News, 13 June 2026 The team opens World Cup play with a match against Croatia in North Texas. —

Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 13 June 2026 An Ivorian pastor and former journalist, Marie opens her home in Tunisia to three generations of migrant women. —

Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 12 June 2026 The main parlor level is anchored by a dramatic double-height great room, while the kitchen opens directly onto a terrace overlooking the garden below. —

Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 12 June 2026 Here, the role is reimagined as Taylor, a younger mother of three who, as the film opens, has a passing encounter with Julia before trying to go on with her own day. —

David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 6 June 2026 Haiti opens its World Cup campaign against Scotland in Boston on June 13, then plays Brazil June 19 in Philadelphia and Morocco June 24 in Atlanta. —

Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for opens

Verb

Each magnetic orientation effectively unlocks a different operating mode, such as moving or cutting.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 8 June 2026
That trust in people — not control from the center — is what unlocks human potential.

— Keith Krach, Fortune, 7 June 2026