phrasal verb
open up
OH-puhn UP
Open up (phrasal verb) means to start talking freely about feelings, worries or private matters that you had been keeping to yourself. Example: “It took him months to open up about what happened.”
phrasal verb
1
To start talking freely about feelings, worries or private matters that you had been keeping to yourself.
"It took him months to open up about what happened."
"She finally opened up to her sister."
2
To make something accessible, or to become accessible — used of doors, shops, borders, markets and opportunities.
"Open up, it's freezing out here!"
"The reforms opened up the market to foreign firms."
"A whole new career opened up for her after the course."
3
To increase a lead or a gap, or to begin firing, in sport and military contexts.
"United opened up a four-point gap at the top of the table."
How to use open up
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo start talking about how you really feel — or to make something open.
When to use it
Informal to neutral. Very common in conversation about mental health.
Memory tip
The emotional sense is intransitive: you open up, you do not open something up about it.
Common pairings
open up to someone
open up about
open up a debate
open up opportunities
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It took him months to _____ about what happened.
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for open up
See all rhymes for open up →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between open up and open?
Plain open is literal and neutral: open the door. Open up adds either emotional disclosure or a sense of something becoming widely available. You open a shop at nine, but a country opens up to tourism.
How do you get someone to open up?
Linguistically, open up takes 'to' before the person hearing the disclosure and 'about' before the subject: he opened up to me about his job. Both prepositions are optional but rarely swapped.
What is the meaning of open up?
"open up" (phrasal verb) means to start talking freely about feelings, worries or private matters that you had been keeping to yourself.
What is another word for open up?
Other words for "open up" include confide, speak freely, unburden yourself, let someone in, unlock, unbar.
