As good as any - as is the case with most verbs, there is no true "opposite". The best you can do is find contrasting concepts. As "Hide and seek" and "Finders keepers, losers weepers" illustrate, these are commonly contrasted words.

Otherwise, one might be tempted to look for something like hide v. display, or lose v. keep.

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Note added at 2004-02-18 20:52:16 (GMT)
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I still have a problem with Alexander\'s \"twofer\" solution: How can a true opposite only be usable with different subjects? \"I hid the key / I found the key\" are not opposable concepts, IMNSHO. I may be too much of a literalist...

Still, everyone here has wonderful ideas (the variety and multiplicity of which support my contention that there\'s no simple answer here).

Lose: find

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Note added at 7 mins (2004-02-18 15:02:51 GMT)
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BTW: REF is Merriam Webster

www.rhymezone.com

I think you can find ahything you need.

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Note added at 8 mins (2004-02-18 15:04:22 GMT)
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Words and phrases that can mean exactly the opposite as lose: (12 results)

advance, break even, find, gain, gain ground, get ahead, hold on, keep, make headway, profit, regain, win



Words and phrases that can mean exactly the opposite as hide: (1 result)

show

Display is when you have no intention of hiding in the first place.

Produce is when you decide to disclose (another option for you) what you have hidden.

Find is clear

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Note added at 16 mins (2004-02-18 15:11:52 GMT)
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The above assumes the transitive version of \"hide\", for the non-transitive \"hide\" (as in hide and seek), use \"appear\". Sabrina\'s \"emerge\" is also a good suggestion.

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Note added at 21 mins (2004-02-18 15:16:37 GMT)
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Besides \"find\", another opposite for lose is \"retrieve\".

Of course there are lots of different possible interpretations of this, but I would choose reveal as the opposite of hide - if you hide something by deliberately covering it up or concealing it, then when you uncover it you are revealing it.

The opposite of hide is reveal
The opposite of lose is find