openingnoun
uk/ˈəʊ.pən.ɪŋ/us/ˈoʊp.nɪŋ/opening noun (HOLE)
C2 [ C ] a hole or space that something or someone can pass through:
More examples
- There was a small opening on the side of the box.
- Tear along the dotted line to create an opening.
- Water was flooding through an opening in the dam.
- The rabbit escaped through an opening in the fence.
- The rain was coming through an opening in the roof.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Holes, hollows and dips
- aperture
- cleft
- cranny
- dent
- depression
- dimple
- dip
- donga
- eyehole
- intake
- orifice
- pinhole
- pit
- porosity
- porous
- puncture
- riddled
- semipermeable
- tear 1
- wormhole
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opening noun (CEREMONY)
B2 [ C usually singular ] a ceremony at the beginning of an event or activity:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Ceremonies
- cavalcade
- ceremonial
- ceremony
- commemorate
- commencement
- induction
- initiate
- investiture
- knight
- master of ceremonies
- MC
- nuptials
- pageant
- salute
- solemnize
- speech day
- state occasion
- swearing-in
- the red carpet
- troop
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opening noun (BEGINNING)
B2 [ C usually singular ] the beginning of something:
[ C ] the beginning of a game of chess:
More examples
- The opening of the film contains a famous chase sequence.
- The play's opening introduces the audience to the main characters.
- The play has been performed with different openings.
- The director filmed two different openings to the movie.
- His letters always had a charming opening.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Beginnings and starts
- a baptism of/by fire idiom
- a clean sheet/slate idiom
- advent
- baptism
- beginning
- clean
- go/be back to square one idiom
- inception
- initiation
- institution
- introduction
- jumping-off point
- seed
- square
- starting time
- the outset
- the thin end of the wedge idiom
- thin
- trigger
- zero hour
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
opening noun (OPPORTUNITY)
[ C ] a job or an opportunity to do something:
More examples
- There are several openings in the firm for suitably qualified applicants.
- Since qualifying as a teacher he's been unable to find an appropriate opening.
- An opening for a sales assistant is being advertised in the local paper.
- She's looking for an opening into the fashion business.
- Her retirement has created an opening for a new head of department.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Opportunity
- a free ride idiom
- another/a second bite at/of the cherry idiom
- best bet idiom
- bite
- break
- chance
- half
- it's now or never idiom
- look in
- make hay while the sun shines idiom
- manqué
- miss
- op
- pass
- the run of sth idiom
- the world is sb's oyster idiom
- there are plenty more fish in the sea idiom
- toehold
- too good to miss idiom
- window
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openingadjective [ before noun ]
uk/ˈəʊ.pən.ɪŋ/us/ˈoʊp.nɪŋ/C1 happening at the beginning of an event or activity:
More examples
- I did a few opening gags about the band that had been on before me.
- Her clever opening gambit gave her an early advantage.
- "I hear you're a friend of Jamie's, " was her opening gambit.
- It was the song's opening line, a series of profanities, that caused the record to be banned on the radio station.
- In his opening salvo the speaker fiercely attacked the government's record on healthcare.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Starting and beginning
- be in the first flush of idiom
- become
- begin
- branch out
- break into sth
- export
- go ahead
- ground
- incipient
- initiator
- instate
- introduce
- kick
- kick-start
- strike
- touch sth off
- train
- trigger
- wade in
- weave
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