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

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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 .

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Example Sentences

Senate confirmations take time, and without that signal, the administration can’t plan a second nomination because they don’t know if the seat is opening up.

From The Wall Street Journal

College “opens up so many doors,” but investing at the same time can help a working person “pursue what you would like to pursue, while having a solid financial future,” he said.

From MarketWatch

"It has brought youth together and it has opened up their minds" while also helping to create "a community of belonging", the 25-year-old said.

From Barron's

Under the DMA, the world's biggest tech companies must open up to competition to give consumers more options and limit abuses linked to market dominance.

From Barron's

I open up her loaner computer from the library to check my email.

From Literature

Related Words

• advise
• announce
• confess
• declare
• disclose
• explain
• express
• inform
• instruct
• mention
• notify
• order
• report
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• state
• summon