English

Alternative forms

• as one door closes, another opens
• when one door closes, another door opens
• when one door closes, another one opens
• when one door shuts, another opens

Proverb

when one door closes, another opens

1. When one opportunity is lost, another opportunity soon becomes available.
   • 1902, W. W. Jacobs, At Sunwich Portt, ch. 4:

     An excellent reason for absenting himself from school was thus denied to Master Hardy; but it has been well said that when one door closes another opens, and to his great satisfaction the old servant, who had been in poor health for some time, suddenly took to her bed and required his undivided attention.

   • 1985 October 4, Alan Truscott, "Bridge: New York Area Team Finds A Silver Lining in Its Cloud," New York Times (retrieved 6 May 2013):

     When one door closes, another opens: those eliminated in the early rounds of the Spingold Knockout in Las Vegas, Nev., in August were able to shoot for the national men's and women's Swiss team events.

   • 2005 January 14, Dan Toth, "'I've had a great run': Rooke 'very emotional' after firing," Calgary Sun (Canada) (retrieved 6 May 2013):

     "When one door closes, another opens," the former Stamps president mused yesterday after being fired by the team's new ownership group.

See also

• hope springs eternal
• tomorrow is another day
• there are plenty more fish in the sea