open up
Britishverb
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(intr) to start firing a gun or guns
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(intr) to speak freely or without restraint
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informal (intr) (of a motor vehicle) to accelerate
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(tr) to render accessible
the motorway opened up the remoter areas
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to make or become more exciting or lively
the game opened up after half-time
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Spread out, unfold, as in A green valley opened up before us . [Early 1800s]
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Begin operation, as in The new store opens up next month . [Late 1700s]
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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 .
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Speak freely and candidly, as in At last the witness opened up and told what happened . “ Colloquial ; c. 1920]
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Make an opening by cutting, as in The surgeon opened up the patient's chest .
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Become available or accessible, as in With new markets opening up all the time we hope to see our revenues increase dramatically . [Mid-1800s]
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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]
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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.
Fashion Britain is the British Fashion Council's initiative to open up access to talent outside of London - so how do you shift the focus away from the traditional centre of that world?
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
While Meta’s traditional advertising business has been growing rapidly, investors were uncertain whether the company could open up new revenue opportunities with AI.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026
"And they open up exciting possibilities for future research into how we might trigger these effects more directly -- with diet, lifestyle, or new medicines."
From Science Daily ● Sep. 9, 2026
When so few people leave, few new roles open up for anyone else.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026
When my parents agreed to open up with the truth, I kind of figured this would be it.
From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day
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.
