open up

verb

opened up; opening up; opens up

transitive verb

1

: to make available or possible

The discovery opens up the possibility of new cures.

2

: to make plain or visible : disclose

3

: to open by cutting into

intransitive verb

1

: to become available or possible

The hostess will let us know when a table opens up.

2

: to spread out or come into view

The road opens up ahead.

3

: to commence firing

4

: to become communicative

tried to get the patient to open up

Examples of open up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Miller, Ball and Miles Bridges combined for four 3-pointers as part of a 15-0 run as the Hornets opened up a 98-57 lead. —Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 25 Mar. 2026

Columbus was long celebrated for his voyage in 1492 to the Americas, which opened up trade routes with Europe and built his reputation as a heroic discoverer. —Dan Diamond, Arkansas Online, 24 Mar. 2026

Such capability opens up new possibilities for rapid training, remote task execution, and safer operations in environments such as manufacturing, healthcare, and consumer services. —Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 24 Mar. 2026

The Grammy-winning rapper, who's poised to make a musical comeback this summer with multiple anniversary concerts, opened up about his career and life in the spotlight in an interview with GQ magazine published Tuesday, March 24. —Edward Segarra, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for open up

• buttercup
• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup

Kids Definition

open up

verb

1

: to make available

2

: to make visible or come into view

the road opens up ahead

3

: to begin firing (as with a weapon or with questions)