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to open

to open

48 1.0
To lead into another room or space
  • verb
  • /ˈoʊpən/
: dar a
  • A crack of sun came through the window Christina had opened, like a huge golden pencil.
  • rooms open onto

You get there and you open that door, dude.

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Examples

  • A moment later, the door behind her opened and Bastable stood on the threshold.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Jacob throws the chair on the floor, opens the door, and hurries into the hallway.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • First things first, have to open all the windows.

  • So you can go out and open a window in your office.

  • You walk into the front door, it opens like this.

  • And then the the bus stops, the door opens and the yelling starts.

  • Behind him, we can see the door to Leo's office opening and Leo coming out.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Lettie heard his boots on the wood and opened the door for the man.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • No escaping the noise, Adrienne gently opens the door wide enough to slip through.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • She walked over and opened the sliding door to let in some fresh air.

Synonyms

wide open
vsto open
142 2.3

Completely open and available with nothing stopping access

is any opening or passage rather than fully unrestricted
wide-open
vsto open
102 1.1

Completely open with nothing closed or covering it

is any opening or passage rather than fully exposed
gaping
vsto open
39 3.4

Very wide open, often like a large hole or empty space

is a general opening or passage rather than an enormous gap
ajar
vsto open
14 1.2

Slightly open, like a door or window

is any opening or passage rather than a tiny partial gap

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

To shut something so it is not open

Idioms

87 2.5

In public and not hidden so other people can see or hear

85 3.7

Make someone understand something they did not know before

open arms
  • Informal
37 2.8

A warm, eager welcome

eyes wide open
  • Informal
21 4.3

To act while fully aware of possible risks

Acting while fully aware of what could go wrong

11 7.7

To create many unexpected problems that are hard to control

7 7.4

Create a difficult situation with many unexpected problems

Stay half awake and watch for danger while you sleep because you are afraid

open sesame
  • Literature
2 8.6

A magic word that gives easy access or success

2 9.9

To attack or punish someone suddenly and violently, often for something they did

Watch carefully for danger or a chance

Create new ways to make progress or grow

to open the kimono
  • Offensive
1 9.9

To show a company's private information to others, often during business talks

1 3.7

Stay alert to hear useful news or information

To not pay attention and miss what is happening around you, for example because you are daydreaming

Waste effort arguing about something everyone already agrees with

To avoid choosing now so other choices remain

To try to make something happen when it is already easy or people already agree

To cause a lot of trouble and anger among people

Phrasal Verbs

642 2.5

Make something not closed, for example by removing a lock or cover

316 3.7

Make something available for people to use

to open up
  • Informal
204 2.9

Begin to talk honestly about your thoughts and feelings

175 3.4

Begin to work and serve customers, like a shop or theater

162 3.2

Give someone new chances to succeed

117 4.1

Start shooting at people or things with a gun

106 3.1

Leave an option available for later use

66 2.6

Open something like a bottle or box to get what is inside

Unwrap a gift to see what is inside

47 2.1

To open something suddenly by force, for example a locked door or jar

47 1.9

Make your mouth as wide as possible so a doctor or dentist can look inside

To delay a final decision so you can choose later

To keep a chance open for the future

to blow wide open
  • Literature
8 6.5

To make a secret suddenly become known

7 3.7

Keep something available while you delay a final decision

7 3.0

To move apart by itself suddenly because of surprise or gravity

Open something so it makes a small sharp sound

4 3.3

To open suddenly, often because of wind or force

4 3.7

To have the mouth or jaw suddenly fall open because of surprise

1 2.3

To create a new browser tab so you can view another web page without leaving the current page

To start suddenly and strongly, like an argument or a strong feeling

1 4.6

Pull a door quickly and hard to open it

1 4.3

Start attacking someone strongly by shooting or with strong words

To be willing to think about new ideas and different views

1 9.5

To start a cricket team's batting as one of the first two batters

1 3.2

Leave a web page open to check it often

Compounds

142 2.3

Completely open and available with nothing stopping access

102 1.1

Completely open with nothing closed or covering it

open-source
  • Specialized
77 3.7

Software that has code anyone can read, change, and share

43 2.7

An event when people are invited to visit and feel welcome

32 1.0

Outside in a place that is not covered

20 4.1

A time when an activity is allowed, often for hunting or fishing

open book
  • Informal
20 3.5

A person whose feelings and thoughts are easy to understand

open letter
  • Literature
19 4.0

A letter written to one person but published for everyone to read to make people notice a problem

19 3.8

Very clear and easy to decide or solve

19 3.9

An event where people take turns performing music, poetry, or comedy

18 1.2

A large area of land without buildings or trees used for play

18 2.1

Taking place outside and not under a roof

open-heart surgery
  • Specialized
17 4.4

An operation where doctors open the chest to operate on the heart

15 4.3

An agreement to get goods or services now and pay later

A conversation where people share ideas honestly without holding back

12 3.3

A practice of letting people come in and speak freely to leaders

open society
  • Formal
10 5.1

A community where people can speak freely, join groups, and vote

10 6.2

A marriage in which both partners allow each other to have sex with other people

Anyone is welcome to join or take part

open secret
  • Informal
7 4.0

Something people try to hide but many already know

open fracture
  • Specialized
6 5.4

A broken bone that sticks out through a cut in the skin

open primary
  • Literature
5 6.4

An early election before the main vote where any registered voter can vote for candidates of only one party

A way of letting people talk freely to those in charge

4 4.1

A room with few dividing walls that makes one big space

A market that takes place outdoors where stalls sell food and other goods

A way of allowing foreign companies to trade on the same terms as local companies

2 4.3

Not strictly controlled, so illegal things can happen

A single slice of bread with toppings served without a top slice

A piece of bread with toppings and no top slice

2 7.2

A way to let many countries trade equally with one country, used for China in the late 1800s

2 3.5

A British university that offers part-time online and distance courses for adults, often without usual entry rules

A shirt with the top button undone at the neck

open circuit
  • Specialized
1 4.6

A broken electrical path that stops electric current

A space in a wall where you make an open fire to heat or cook in a room

open shop
  • Jargon
1 5.2

A workplace where workers do not have to join a union or pay its fees

open-angle glaucoma
  • Specialized
1 5.2

A common eye disease that slowly reduces side vision when eye fluid cannot drain

open-hearth
  • Archaic
1 9.5

Steel that people make by heating iron in a large furnace

open weave
  • Specialized
1 4.5

A fabric with threads placed far apart so small holes let light and air through

open order
  • Specialized
1 8.0

Soldiers standing with wide spaces between ranks so an officer can walk between them for inspection

open sight
  • Specialized
1 7.3

A simple part on a gun with an open notch for aiming

open-end fund
  • Specialized
1 6.9

A company that sells and buys shares directly at their daily price

1 8.1

A large hot oven that makes steel by heating metal on a shallow bed with flames above

open-end credit
  • Specialized
1 6.2

A borrowing plan that lets you borrow up to a set limit and use it again as you repay

open vowel
  • Specialized
1 5.7

A vowel sound made with the tongue low in the mouth

An outdoor place where people sell food and crafts

A warm welcome you give by opening your arms to hold someone

open-end wrench
  • Specialized
1 4.5

A tool with two flat open jaws that grip nuts or bolts

open syllable
  • Specialized
1 5.3

A syllable that ends with a vowel sound and usually has a long vowel

1 8.1

A company that sells and buys back shares any time at a price based on its assets

open interval
  • Specialized
1 8.2

A set of numbers between two points that does not include the end points

1 8.2

A way of making steel by melting iron and scrap metal in a large open furnace

open chain
  • Specialized
7.2

A chain of atoms in a molecule whose ends do not join to make a ring

open frame
  • Jargon
7.1

A frame in which a player fails to knock down all the pins with two rolls

open-class word
  • Specialized
7.4

A type of word that often gets new words, like nouns and verbs

A warm, friendly welcome that makes guests feel wanted

How Open

expansive
37 5.4
open-plan
4 4.1
to open
48 1.0
enclosed
50 3.5

Surface Forms

open infinitive
opened past
opened past participle
opening present participle
opens third person singular

Etymology

Open as a verb comes from the idea 'not closed', so if a room or door opens onto a garden it has a way through to that space. That is why we say rooms or doors 'open' into other areas.