OPEN UP

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does open up mean? 

• OPEN UP (verb)
  The verb OPEN UP has 7 senses:

1. cause to open or to become open

2. become available

3. make available

4. open up an area or prepare a way

5. start to operate or function or cause to start operating or functioning

6. become open

7. talk freely and without inhibition

  Familiarity information: OPEN UP used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• OPEN UP (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Cause to open or to become open

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

open; open up

Context example:

Mary opened the car door

Cause:

open; open up (become open)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "open up"):

unbar (remove a bar from (a door))

break open (open with force)

click open (open with a clicking sound)

reopen (open again or anew)

unlock (open the lock of)

unbolt (undo the bolt of)

unseal (break the seal of)

uncork (draw the cork from (bottles))

jimmy; lever; prise; prize; pry (to move or force, especially in an effort to get something open)

breach; gap (make an opening or gap in)

lance (open by piercing with a lancet)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

They want to open up the doors

Sense 2

Meaning:

Become available

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

open; open up

Context example:

an opportunity opened up

Hypernyms (to "open up" is one way to...):

arise; come up (result or issue)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sense 3

Meaning:

Make available

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

open; open up

Context example:

This opens up new possibilities

Hypernyms (to "open up" is one way to...):

afford; give; yield (be the cause or source of)

Cause:

open; open up (become available)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 4

Meaning:

Open up an area or prepare a way

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Synonyms:

open up; pioneer

Context example:

She pioneered a graduate program for women students

Hypernyms (to "open up" is one way to...):

innovate; introduce (bring something new to an environment)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 5

Meaning:

Start to operate or function or cause to start operating or functioning

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

open; open up

Context example:

open a business

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "open up"):

establish; found; launch; set up (set up or found)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

The business is going to open up

Sense 6

Meaning:

Become open

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

open; open up

Context example:

The door opened

Hypernyms (to "open up" is one way to...):

change state; turn (undergo a transformation or a change of position or action)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "open up"):

unfasten (become undone or untied)

fly open (come open suddenly)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sentence example:

The doors open up

Sense 7

Meaning:

Talk freely and without inhibition

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "open up" is one way to...):

mouth; speak; talk; utter; verbalise; verbalize (express in speech)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Sentence example:

Sam and Sue open up

Antonym:

close up (refuse to talk or stop talking; fall silent)

 Context examples 

With such an extraordinary buildup of planetary energy in that house, and with lucky Jupiter conjunct the Sun and new moon, it appears fresh opportunities will soon open up for you.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

The implications of such activity on a world other than our planet open up unprecedented scientific possibilities.

(Spacecraft Data Suggest Saturn Moon's Ocean May Harbor Hydrothermal Activity, NASA)

A type of drug that causes small airways in the lungs to open up.

(Bronchodilator, NCI Dictionary)

Being able to predict deficits long before they appear could open up new opportunities to design and test interventions that prevent Alzheimer's in people, said Yadong Huang, senior author of the study.

(Predicting Alzheimer's-like memory loss before it strikes, National Science Foundation)

Flows of gas from young massive stars open up cavities in interstellar clouds.

(Astronomers Reveal Interstellar Thread of One of Life’s Building Blocks, ESO)

But if you open up the fruit, each seed is covered by this juicy, soft pulp, and it's that that the monkeys and gibbons like.

(Thai Elephants Help Spread Jungle Fruit's Seeds, Sadie Witkowski/VOA)

Since chromatin constitutes a barrier for processes affecting DNA, such a transcription, replication, and repair, a mechanism is required that can open up or remodel chromatin to make it accessible to replication and transcription factors.

(hSWI-SNF Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)

But their study does open up areas for researching potential diagnostic tests, new medications, improved dietary supplements or other changes that could help more women have full-term pregnancies, all areas which will require several more years of study.

(New Genetic Discovery May Eventually End Premature Birth, VOA)

Yaser Sheikh, associate professor of robotics, said these methods for tracking 2-D human form and motion open up new ways for people and machines to interact with each other, and for people to use machines to better understand the world around them.

(Computer that Reads Body Language, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

I can’t remember an eclipse as supportive and filled with goodies as this one, and being a new moon, it will open up a new chapter for you.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)