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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in frees
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 begins
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 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 That hearing is two days before LSU — the one SEC team known to be interested in signing such players — opens its season against Clemson. — Seth Emerson, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026 This week, just steps from the garden, Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech (mYSLm), a 43,000-square-foot museum designed by the architectural firm Studio KO, opens its doors to the public. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2026 The Athletics are on their way to Las Vegas via West Sacramento in 2028 when a new $2 billion ballpark on the Strip opens. — Barry M. Bloom, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 Silver City Cabaret The episode opens with Two Cups (James Jordan) and Randy (Austin Hébert) at a strip club. — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2026 Primary suite opens to garden The primary bedroom leans into indoor-outdoor living. — David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026 The Cycle of Love by Oscar-winning filmmaker Orlando von Einsiedel (The White Helmets, The Lost Children, Evelyn, Virunga), executive produced by Priyanka Chopra Jonas, opens at the Angelika in NYC. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2026 This front entry opens to a foyer that has an unobstructed view of the great room. — James Alexander, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026 Friday night opens with the Ed Wagner Brass Band, an authentic German-style brass band. — Hank Beckman, Chicago Tribune, 22 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
  • For Anthropic, the deal unlocks additional future processing power ahead of the company’s planned IPO.
    — J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • For Kickstarter stretch goals, reaching $50,000 with 250 backers unlocks one additional filter for all backers, while $100,000 with 500 backers unlocks three.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of unlocks
Verb
  • DeSoto’s drop to Class 5A clears a major roadblock for Southlake Carroll, and Euless Trinity gets a rare shot at ending a four-season district title drought by avoiding Carroll and North Crowley in district play.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Howard Armitage/New Atlas The timer finishes READY for 10 seconds, clears itself and returns to its normal display.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of clears
Verb
  • The event comes as China expands its robotics industry and competes to establish leadership in humanoid and autonomous machines, with more than 2,000 robots from 16 countries also taking part in the 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Now about 5½ months old, Crimson is thriving on three legs, quickly returning to playful, curious cub behavior as the Oakland Zoo expands its track record of rescuing orphaned mountain lions.
    — Jasmine Mendez Follow, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of expands
Verb
  • Instead of managing an entire meal, planning for just dessert and drinks frees you up to tidy the house or relax without standing over a stove for hours before guests arrive.
    — Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The trade frees up Brown, Doubs, DeMario Douglas, Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams and Efton Chism to make the Patriots’ 53-man roster while providing the team with more safety depth and a future draft pick.
    — Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of frees
Verb
  • Currently, free agency begins five days after the World Series, with no expiration on when players can sign.
    — Evan Drellich, New York Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • That window begins either with their first year in college or the year following their 19th birthday, whichever comes first.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of begins
Verb
  • This effort extends beyond physical chip export controls, which have proven difficult to enforce, with new legislation like the Remote Access Security Act aiming to curb remote access.
    — John Werner, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The deal also extends the expiration date of non-refundable tax credits issued prior to 2025 by up to five years.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of extends
Verb
  • The Jet Set to the Beekman package commences with a Blade helicopter flight to Pier 11 in Lower Manhattan (from eligible departure points), where a house car will then take you to the Beekman’s West Turret penthouse.
    — Spencer Whaley, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
  • With a fury inside him, Garfield unleashes violence against them and commences the rebellion.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 July 2026
Definition of commences
Verb
  • The bigger fall foliage show typically unfolds in late September and can stretch into early October, depending on the year.
    — Brittany Anas, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Watch as the action unfolds from East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, GA.
    — Data Skrive, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of unfolds

Browse Nearby Words

openness
opens
open secret
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Opens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/opens. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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