open up

make something available or possible that was limited before

B1

What does "open (sth) up" mean?

This sense of 'open up' means to make something available or possible that was not available or possible before. It is often used when a barrier, limit, or restriction is removed, and new chances or options appear as a result. For example, a new law, technology, or agreement can open up opportunities for people who did not have them before. The object is usually something abstract, like 'opportunities', 'options', 'access', or 'a debate'. This phrasal verb often has a positive feeling — it suggests that something has improved or that people now have more freedom or choice.

Examples

How to use it

open up + abstract noun

The most common pattern — use 'open up' with an abstract noun like 'opportunities', 'possibilities', 'access', or 'options' to say that something new has become available.

The new agreement opened up trade opportunities for smaller companies.

open + object + up

With short noun phrases, you can place the object between 'open' and 'up' — this is very natural in everyday English.

The scholarship really opened the field up for students from low-income families.

open + pronoun + up

When you use a pronoun like 'it' or 'them', it must go between 'open' and 'up' — placing it after 'up' is not correct.

There were very few options before, but the new policy opened them up significantly.

be opened up (by + agent)

The passive form is very common, especially in news and reports, when the focus is on what became available rather than who made it happen.

New investment channels were opened up by the change in regulations.

abstract noun + open up (no object)

You can also use 'open up' without an object to say that new possibilities appeared — the subject is the thing that became available.

After the merger, exciting new possibilities opened up for the whole team.

Common Collocations

open up new marketsopen up opportunitiesopen up possibilitiesopen up a debateopen up accessopen up options

Common Mistakes

Pronoun placement

When using a pronoun like 'it' or 'them', it must come between 'open' and 'up', not after 'up'. Putting the pronoun after 'up' is ungrammatical in English.

✗ The programme opened up it for more students.
✓ The programme opened it up for more students.
Confusing with the emotional sense

When 'open up' means 'make something available', it takes an abstract noun as its object. When it means 'talk honestly about personal feelings', it has no object. Make sure you know which sense you are using.

✗ She opened up new opportunities about her past experiences.
✓ The course opened up new opportunities for her. / She opened up about her past experiences.

Usage

This phrasal verb is neutral in register and works in both formal writing (business reports, journalism) and everyday speech. It almost always takes an abstract noun as its object and usually has a positive connotation of new access or opportunity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'open up' always mean something positive?

In this sense, it usually has a positive feeling because it suggests that something new and useful has become available. However, it can sometimes be neutral — for example, 'the crisis opened up a debate about inequality' is not necessarily positive, just the start of a discussion.

What kinds of nouns can I use as the object?

In this sense, the object is almost always something abstract — for example, opportunities, possibilities, options, access, markets, a debate, or a new field. You would not use a physical object like 'a door' or 'a box' with this meaning.

Does 'open up' have other meanings?

Yes — 'open up' can also mean to physically open something (like a shop or a door) or to talk honestly about your feelings. This page covers only the sense of making something newly available or possible.

Can I use adverbs with 'open up' to make it stronger?

Yes — adverbs like 'really', 'significantly', 'dramatically', and 'potentially' work very well with this phrasal verb. For example: 'The new technology has dramatically opened up access to education.'

Is 'open up' only used in business or formal contexts?

No — it works in both formal writing, such as business reports and news articles, and in everyday conversation. You might hear it in a formal report ('the deal opened up new markets') or in casual speech ('this could really open up some options for us').

Ready to practise?

Practise 1,000+ English phrasal verbs with interactive gap-fill exercises.

Start Practising →