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Synonyms

open up

British  

verb

  1. (intr) to start firing a gun or guns

  2. (intr) to speak freely or without restraint

  3. informal (intr) (of a motor vehicle) to accelerate

  4. (tr) to render accessible

    the motorway opened up the remoter areas

  5. to make or become more exciting or lively

    the game opened up after half-time
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
open up Idioms  

  1. Spread out, unfold, as in A green valley opened up before us . [Early 1800s]

  2. Begin operation, as in The new store opens up next month . [Late 1700s]

  3. Begin firing, begin attacking, as in The artillery opened up at dawn , or, figuratively, The speaker opened up fiercely on the opposition . [1930s] Also see open fire .

  4. Speak freely and candidly, as in At last the witness opened up and told what happened . “ Colloquial ; c. 1920]

  5. Make an opening by cutting, as in The surgeon opened up the patient's chest .

  6. Become available or accessible, as in With new markets opening up all the time we hope to see our revenues increase dramatically . [Mid-1800s]

  7. Increase the speed of a vehicle, as in Let's see how fast the car will go if you open it up . [ Colloquial ; c. 1920]

  8. Open the door, let me (or us) in, as in Open up! This is the police . [Mid-1900s] Note that in all of these usages except def. 4 and 7, up serves as an intensifier, that is, it emphasizes the verb open .

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Open up the conversation and make time to work together on a financial plan that protects the entire family—before you ever escalate to divorce.

From Slate • Nov. 7, 2022

Open up the windows, steep some tea and dive in.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 29, 2022

Open up your Galaxy Fold, and you can run two apps side by side or even three or four on the screen at once!

From The Verge • Aug. 10, 2022

Open up the big bag of salad and add it to the bowl with the dressing.

From Salon • Jun. 16, 2022

“Hello? Bat Lady? Open up! Open up right now!”

From "Shelter (Book One): A Mickey Bolitar Novel" by Harlan Coben

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.