reopen

R1E1O1P3E1N1
/ɹiːˈəʊpən/

verb

To open (something) again.

Less commonScrabble 8

Meanings

verbreopen (third-person singular simple present reopens, present participle reopening, simple past and past participle reopened)

present singular third person reopens · participle present reopening · participle past reopened · past reopened · alternative re-open

  1. transitiveTo open (something) again.

    1920, Breckinridge Long, US Ambassador to Italy, a speech titled America's Accomplishments From the moment of the declaration by Germany, she would reopen her inhuman warfare by the indiscriminate use of submarines.

    2 more examples

    The nation’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, has been conspicuously absent from national television interviews over the last two weeks, as the White House moves ahead with reopening the economy.

    2020 May 20, Oliver Darcy, “Fauci conspicuously stops doing TV interviews as White House moves to reopen economy”, in CNN Business, archived from the original on 17 Jul 2020

    Says Barnes: "The next priority [for Devon County Council] is reopening the line from Tavistock to Plymouth.

    2021 November 17, Andrew Mourant, “Okehampton: a new dawn for Dartmoor”, in RAIL, number 944, page 43
  2. intransitiveTo open again.

    Yet city officials said unburned sections of the upscale Westfield Galleria at Roseville could reopen within weeks, in time for the holiday shopping season.

    2010 October 22, “Roseville Mall Vows To Reopen As Fire Suspect Speaks”, in CBS News, archived from the original on 15 Dec 2022
    1 more example

    The new law allows the twelve Federal Reserve Banks to issue additional currency on good assets and thus the banks which reopen will be able to meet every legitimate call.

    1933, Franklin Roosevelt, Roosevelt's Fireside Chat, 12 March 1933

Origin

  1. Proto-Italic*wre-
  2. Latinre-
  3. Old Frenchre-
  4. Middle Englishre-
  5. Englishre-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*upó
  7. Proto-Germanic*ub
  8. Proto-Germanic*upp
  9. Proto-Germanic*upanaz
  10. Proto-West Germanic*opan
  11. Old Englishopen
  12. Middle Englishopen
  13. Englishopen
  14. Englishreopen

From re- + open.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan reobrir
  • reobrir(transitive) to open again
Finnish avata uudelleen
  • avata uudelleen(transitive) to open again
French rouvrir, réouvrir
  • rouvrir(transitive) to open again
  • réouvrir(transitive) to open again
  • se rouvrir(intransitive) to open again
Hungarian újra/újból megnyit, újra/újból megnyit/megnyílik
  • újra/újból megnyit(transitive) to open again
  • újra/újból megnyit/megnyílik(intransitive) to open again
Irish athoscail
  • athoscail(transitive) to open again
Italian riaprire, riaprirsi
  • riaprire(transitive) to open again
  • riaprirsi(intransitive) to open again
Portuguese reabrir, reabrir
  • reabrir(transitive) to open again
  • reabrir(intransitive) to open again
Russian переоткрывать
  • переоткрывать (pereotkryvatʹ)(transitive) to open again
Spanish reabrir, reabrirse
  • reabrir(transitive) to open again
  • reabrirse(intransitive) to open again
Swedish återöppna, återöppna
  • återöppna(transitive) to open again
  • återöppna(intransitive) to open again

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with reopen

All rhymes →

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

reopen. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reopen

MLA

“reopen.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reopen. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “reopen,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reopen.

Source: reopen on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.