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 Perfect Warm-Up: Ezra Collective Brings the Fire Brit Award and Mercury Prize winning British band Ezra Collective set the stage for Stevie Wonder with an energy-filled, all guns blazing performance full of magical keys, sublime saxophone and dazzling drumming.
    Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
  • As Pentagon leaders see it, the key is to get unmanned systems ready to go immediately.
    Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 July 2025
Noun
  • The tournament is proud to offer a chance to queue up for same-day tickets; a grounds pass for a day of tennis costs thirty pounds.
    Sam Knight, New Yorker, 12 July 2025
  • According to Friday exit polls, 68 percent of Superman ticket buyers were male, while nearly two-thirds of the audience were between the ages of 18 and 34.
    Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 12 July 2025
Noun
  • The Texas Hill Country, a scenic and rocky gateway to booming vineyards and vacation rentals, begins west of the state capital and is a popular outdoor summer getaway.
    Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 4 July 2025
  • The area is indicative of Indianapolis's beginnings as a Midwest cultural gateway, said Mary Clark, the International Marketplace Coalition's executive director.
    Alexandria Burris, IndyStar, 3 July 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 18 Jul. 2025.

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