ˈōp-niŋ
1
as in opportunity
a favorable combination of circumstances, time, and place
the talk show host's usual modus operandi is to talk over his guests, thereby denying them an opening to articulate their positions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in aperture
a place in a surface allowing passage into or through a thing
an opening in the roof is letting rain drip inside
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in gap
an open space in a barrier (as a wall or hedge)
the rabbit found a little opening in the bushes and darted through
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in initial
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in unlocking
to change from a closed to an open position
please open the door to let the cat out
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clearing
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 expanding
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 freeing
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 beginning
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
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Recent Examples of opening
Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 3 May 2026
Kelly Gorbatenko, one of three sisters from Barrington on the Badgers roster, scored the opening goal.
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026
Steve Walsh, NPR, 3 Apr. 2026
The game time temperature of 91 degrees was the hottest opening day in the history of Busch Stadium, eclipsing the previous mark of 73 degrees on April 5, 1999.
—ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
Jason Dill
april 28, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026
The London revival of Evita, directed by Jamie Lloyd, began previews at the London Palladium on June 14, 2025, before opening July 1.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for opening
Noun
The 36 Cinema Distribution’s release with Variance Films of RZA’S One Spoon Of Chocolate grossed $574k opening weekend on 636 screens.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 3 May 2026
Kelly Gorbatenko, one of three sisters from Barrington on the Badgers roster, scored the opening goal.
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2026
Adjective
On the opening day of the war, the base, known as Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain, was struck multiple times.
—Steve Walsh, NPR, 3 Apr. 2026
The game time temperature of 91 degrees was the hottest opening day in the history of Busch Stadium, eclipsing the previous mark of 73 degrees on April 5, 1999.
—ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
Not even Hurricane Milton could deter Tom Theophilopoulos from opening a new restaurant.
—Jason Dill
april 28, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026
The London revival of Evita, directed by Jamie Lloyd, began previews at the London Palladium on June 14, 2025, before opening July 1.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for opening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opening
Noun
-
According to the site’s founder, Marile Borden, this branding opportunity reflected a newfound honesty among women about the frazzling demands of motherhood.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
-
Maxey drew attention, made the right reads and helped the 76ers take advantage of the 4-on-3 opportunities that came when the Knicks blitzed him.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Turner wanted to dramatically widen the aperture of television news, envisioning shows about business, health, sports and other subject matter.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
6 May 2026
-
Aside from the visible aperture in the character, its symbolism similarly lies in its phonetics.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
The new batch of money is separate from a $245 million pool of new funds officials already allocated to help close looming budget gaps.—
Talia Soglin,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The Canadian reverse logistics company’s pathway-level data report details the limitations, trade-offs and infrastructure gaps that defining the sector—something Debrand likened to opening the black box of textile circularity.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Footwear News,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
An initial round of peace talks was held in the capital of Islamabad last month.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
-
The bill also retains its enforcement division capable of making arrests, despite initial DFL reservations.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Along with the launch of its chatbot for clinicians last month, OpenAI also published a wish list that the company described as a blueprint for unlocking AI’s potential to change the broader health care system.—
Brittany Trang,
STAT,
6 May 2026
-
Sarah Coulter, Americas program director for Accelerating Circularity, said the key to unlocking this type of recycling at scale goes beyond the technology necessary to process textiles for reuse.—
Jennifer Bringle,
Footwear News,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Taking a break or clearing mental space helps.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
-
But muddy conditions led to slop and chaos, and tired out the front-runners after a very fast opening pace, clearing the way for the closer to do his thing.—
Peter Keating,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Officials said the department is expanding coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services to include parents above that threshold.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
-
That means expanding solar on city facilities and exploring innovative energy options to reduce emissions and long-term costs.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Rob Carr / Getty Images Before starting her stable, DeVaux climbed her way up the ranks, beginning as a stable worker for the late Chuck Simon before becoming an assistant trainer for Chad Brown.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
3 May 2026
-
So did progressive anthropologists, who were finally beginning to understand the particularity, complexity, and, above all, the contemporaneity of tribal cultures.—
Glenn Adamson,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Opening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opening. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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