Open up means to start talking honestly about yourself and your feelings. The person you talk to comes after “to”, and the topic after “about”: “open up to a friend about a problem”. The second meaning is to create new chances: “open up opportunities”.
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open up (to + person) (about + topic); open up + opportunities/a market; open something up to + people
- During the long train journey, my dad opened up about his childhood in a small village.
- Learning English opened up new job opportunities for me in international companies.
What changed
First versionIt was months before my new flatmate opened to me about her family.
RevisionIt was months before my new flatmate opened up to me about her family.
“Opened to me” may look like it means “shared her feelings with me”, but “open” without “up” simply means to open a door, a window or a file. Trust and honesty are expressed with “open up”, so “up” was added in the corrected sentence.
If “open up” is followed not by a person but by opportunities, a market or a region, it is the second meaning, “make available”: The new airport opened up the region to tourists. This is no longer about feelings, but about new chances.
Your turn
Tom rarely talks about himself, but last night over dinner he finally ___ about his divorce.
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opened up — Tom usually says little about himself, but this time he finally talked about his divorce. That kind of honesty is “opened up”. “Opened” without “up” means he opened something, and “about his divorce” cannot follow it.
Think of a conversation in which someone unexpectedly opened up to you. Write who it was and what they talked about.
On our last business trip, my usually quiet manager opened up to me about her plans to move abroad.
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