reopen

reopen — verb

1. to start operating again or to let people use a place again after a time when it

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to start operating again or to let people use a place again after a time when it was not open — used for shops, restaurants, schools, museums, airports, and similar buildings or facilities.

Example

The museum reopened last month after three years of renovation work.

intransitive: [place] + reopen

Sade's café will reopen on Monday with a new menu and longer opening hours.

Common collocations
  • reopen a store / restaurant / school / hotel / museum / airport
  • reopen for business
  • reopen to the public
  • reopen its doors
Synonyms
  • open again

    less formal; can be used in everyday conversation instead of 'reopen'

  • re-establish

    more formal; suggests setting up operations from scratch rather than just unlocking doors

Antonyms
  • close

    general opposite; a place that reopens was previously closed

  • shut down

    implies permanent or longer-term closure rather than temporary

Grammar Patterns

reopen + noun (place)

noun (place) + reopen

Usage Note

Common in news reports and public announcements about closures and reopenings. The passive form (be reopened) is frequent when the agent is an authority or organisation.

Common Mistakes

The store was open again after the holidays.
The store reopened after the holidays.
'reopen' means to open again after a closure, while 'be open again' does not stress the act of reopening.

2. to start again or to continue with an official activity such as an investigation

2.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

to start again or to continue with an official activity such as an investigation, discussion, legal case, or set of negotiations after it had been paused or stopped for a while.

Example

The police decided to reopen the case after new evidence was found.

transitive: reopen a case / investigation

The debate on immigration policy was reopened following the new report.

passive: [debate / discussion] + was reopened

Common collocations
  • reopen a case / investigation / debate / discussion / inquiry
  • reopen negotiations / talks / proceedings
  • reopen a file (legal or administrative)
  • reopen a hearing / trial
Synonyms
  • resume

    more general; can be used for formal and informal activities alike

  • restart

    slightly less formal; common in both official and technical contexts

  • take up again

    more formal; often used in writing rather than speech

Antonyms
  • suspend

    to stop an activity temporarily; a suspended case may later be reopened

  • adjourn

    specifically used in legal/meeting contexts; implies a planned break rather than full stop

  • close

    to bring to an end; a closed case is not typically reopened

Grammar Patterns

reopen + noun (case, investigation, debate)

noun (process) + reopen

Usage Note

The subject is usually a formal body, authority, or institution (a committee, court, police force, or government). Not used for casual or personal activities — for those, use 'resume' or 'start again'.

Common Mistakes

Let's reopen our conversation about weekend plans.
Let's continue our conversation about weekend plans.
'reopen' sounds too formal and official for casual talk; 'resume' or 'continue' are more natural.
Idioms

reopen old wounds

idiom

To bring back painful memories from the past.

Maya's apology only reopened old wounds for her brother.

Did the documentary reopen old wounds for the survivors?

Word family

  • reopening
    nounB1
  • reopened
    adjectiveB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/2

All four words describe starting something again after a break, but they differ in formality and scope. 'Reopen' carries a strong sense of formality and is nearly always used for official processes — investigations, court cases, political debates, or negotiations. 'Resume' is the most neutral and widely applicable: you can resume a conversation, a game, a job, or a meeting without sounding odd. 'Restart' is slightly less formal and emphasises beginning from a point of complete stop rather than a pause; it is also common with machines and systems ('restart the computer'). 'Take up again' is the most formal and often appears in written English ('the committee will take up the matter again in the autumn'). For example, a police force reopens a cold case, a speaker resumes a speech after an interruption, a driver restarts a stalled engine, and a parliament takes up legislation again after a recess.

reopen ↗resume ↗restart ↗take up again

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • reopen its doors
  • reopen for business
  • reopen to the public
  • reopen a file

Prepositions

  • for (business / the season / the summer)
  • to (the public / visitors / guests)

Etymology

LatinOld EnglishEnglish

Formed by joining the prefix 're-' (meaning 'again', from Latin) with the word 'open' (from Old English 'openian', meaning 'to open or uncover'). The verb 'reopen' has been used in English since the late 1500s, first in the literal sense of physically opening something again, and later extending to formal processes.