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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025
The Altadena and Pacific Palisades wildfires, which devastated parts of Los Angeles in early January, forced the cancellation of the show’s opening reception.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 20 Feb. 2025
Jordan Greene, People.com, 24 Dec. 2024
This ensured the Canucks entered the middle frame on even terms despite generating just two five-on-five shots in the opening 20 minutes.
—Harman Dayal, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for opening
Noun
Many specialize in administration, project management or information technology, and there are now relatively few private-sector openings in those fields, said Julia Pollak, chief economist of ZipRecruiter, a leading job search site.
—Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025
The Altadena and Pacific Palisades wildfires, which devastated parts of Los Angeles in early January, forced the cancellation of the show’s opening reception.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 20 Feb. 2025
Verb
Last year, after opening her 17th dress, Ava decided to film an OOTD with her dad and share it on TikTok.
—Jordan Greene, People.com, 24 Dec. 2024
This ensured the Canucks entered the middle frame on even terms despite generating just two five-on-five shots in the opening 20 minutes.
—Harman Dayal, The Athletic, 24 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for opening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for opening
Noun
-
One of his key strengths is his ability to embrace challenges as opportunities for innovation.—
Tyler Shepherd,
USA TODAY,
22 Feb. 2025
-
Monica Lewinsky stopped by The Late Show to chat about her new podcast, Reclaiming, and took the opportunity to reflect on her life since her scandal with Bill Clinton in the late ’90s.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
21 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
There's a triple-lens main camera in the Find N5, combining a 50-megapixel shooter with a large aperture and sensor for better low-light performance, a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto lens enabling 3X optical zoom, and an 8-MP ultrawide.—
Julian Chokkattu,
WIRED,
22 Feb. 2025
-
Its 77-degree field of view, f/2.0 aperture, and Type 1/2.9 CMOS sensor are all fairly standard specs, almost identical to the Obsbot Tiny SE.—
PCMAG,
PCMAG,
13 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
And there’s a more than $100 million gap between the cost of local school districts’ special education programs and the aid the state provides.—
Jessika Harkay,
Hartford Courant,
28 Feb. 2025
-
Even with recent gains, Black Americans are still outnumbered 12 to 1 by white people in executive roles – a gap seven times wider than found in the overall workforce at those companies.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA TODAY,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Current case numbers include those that occurred between the initial 2018 incident and now, as the outbreak is ongoing. Need a break?—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA TODAY,
23 Feb. 2025
-
The Israeli military said the three were in their custody and would undergo an initial medical assessment before being reunited with their families.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
22 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Financial clout is not an issue, but unlocking the riches of being in the Champions League and its revenue is an ongoing challenge.—
Jacob Tanswell,
The Athletic,
26 Dec. 2024
-
These investigations are crucial for unlocking further secrets of the universe.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Thousands of Starbucks baristas are set to walk off the job on Tuesday, expanding the dayslong holiday strike to 300 stores in dozens of cities and towns nationwide, according to the union Starbucks Workers United.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
24 Dec. 2024
-
Last month, the Biden administration proposed further expanding access to the drugs for enrollees in Medicare and Medicaid.—
Katy Golvala,
Hartford Courant,
24 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
The academy also says that beginning in 2026, a main title theme must be used in at least half of eligible episodes to be considered for an Emmy.—
Rick Porter,
The Hollywood Reporter,
8 Jan. 2025
-
Clothing makers will have to collect, transport, repair, sort, recycle and otherwise manage the end-of-life of their products beginning in 2030.—
Lewis Perkins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Davis’ team is still 1-10 in Quadrant 1 games against the sport’s best teams, but has the chance to earn a second in its regular-season finale vs. rival Duke next Saturday.—
Brendan Marks,
The Athletic,
25 Feb. 2025
-
Given that $$$4U was immediately positioned as Drake’s primary vehicle to regain his cultural and commercial footing post-beef, the album never really had a chance to exist as a sincere moment of collaboration.—
Carl Lamarre,
Billboard,
25 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Opening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opening. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.
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