OPENINGS Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

openings

noun

plural of opening

as in opportunities

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

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Relevance

as in apertures

a place in a surface allowing passage into or through a thing an opening in the roof is letting rain drip inside

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in gaps

an open space in a barrier (as a wall or hedge) the rabbit found a little opening in the bushes and darted through

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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 openings There are new openings, such as the Cape Froward National Park in Chile, and landmark anniversaries, like a Beethoven festival in Leipzig, Germany, to mark the 200th anniversary of the composer’s death. — Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026 The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects an average of around 82,000 electrician openings annually through 2035, with employment in the trade growing significantly faster than the overall labor market. — Shiva Dhawan, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026 Results were delayed after late openings forced more than 100 polling stations to extend voting hours Monday. — CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026 The results were delayed after late openings forced more than 100 polling stations to extend voting hours Monday. — Rob Gillies, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026 Running a coffee business is not without its problems, but Kansas City has seen multiple openings in the local café space over the last several years. — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026 Even amid the swirl of events Monday—including openings at neighborhood galleries such as Gagosian, Skarstedt, White Cube, and Hauser & Wirth—those who came for the conversation stayed for the cocktails after. — Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026 The October openings in the West follow the film’s earlier theatrical rollout across the Asia-Pacific region. — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026 If an autumn getaway is in your future, these are the most exciting hotel openings to have top of mind. — Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for openings

Noun

The court also found that families in many rural counties have substantially fewer opportunities to use EdChoice vouchers.

— Bilin Lin, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
The event, for golfers and non-golfers, will include golf instruction, interactive activities, music, food and opportunities to connect with founders Ajanaku and Cooper, community leaders, local organizations, and others.

— Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of opportunities

Noun

Aligned along a single axis, these apertures create a perspective that evokes the assembly-line logic of the automotive industry.

— Sarah Belmont for ArtNews, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2026
Larger apertures gather more light, while monochrome cameras with filters help tease out subtle banding.

— Damian Peach, Space.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of apertures

Noun

The double-slit experiment, for example, is a classic setup where scientists send particles through two gaps in a screen and observe a resulting interference pattern, proving that the particles act as waves.

— Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Kyiv has since also reported gaps in intelligence sharing and restrictions on Elon Musk’s Starlink service, which is crucial for its drone missions, battlefield communications and air defense.

— Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of gaps

Noun

Fans are cautious about discussing UCLA’s chances of making the College Football Playoff, despite the Bruins becoming the last undefeated team in the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference.

— Jordan Puente, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
Though that doesn’t mean the Texas head coach is ready to risk the chances of them making the CFP if Arch cannot show progress in the first half on Saturday.

— Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of chances

Noun

Chacarra was 4 under for his round after 11 holes, having started out in the halfway lead after completing a second-round 67 early Saturday.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Using wooden planks and sandbags, Long Beach City work crews earlier this month had patched up holes in the boardwalk’s wall created by the hurricanes, but the reinforcements did not hold.

— Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of holes

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opening

openings

opening (up)

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Style

“Openings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/openings. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of openings

noun

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