as in key
something that allows someone to achieve a desired goal it turned out that a simple "please" was the open sesame for charming the hotel manager into giving us a room with a better view

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for open sesame
Noun
  • The key is fitting the right programming to the right platform.
    Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 30 June 2025
  • More than anything else, the key is to recognize that these AIs are complex software programs that exist to serve a purpose for the creators who are investing massive resources in their construction.
    Nisha Talagala, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
Noun
  • The lucky player chose the Quick Pick option, meaning a lottery machine chose at least some of their ticket numbers at random, rules show.
    Simone Jasper, Miami Herald, 30 June 2025
  • More than 470,000 other Powerball tickets sold in the United States also won prizes ranging from $4 to $100,000, the lottery said.
    Don Sweeney, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 June 2025
Noun
  • With cable internet, the modem and router usually come as a single unit, called a gateway,which needs to be plugged into the cable port and an electrical outlet.
    Kara McGinley, USA Today, 21 June 2025
  • This includes smart switches, secure routers, WiFi 7 gear, campus gateways, industrial IoT . . .
    Patrick Moorhead, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Open sesame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/open%20sesame. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.

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