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
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Recent Examples of open sesame
As Snider used Dorothy as an open sesame to the closed world of Playboy, so Hefner planned to use Dorothy as the open sesame to the closed world of major motion pictures.
—
Lili Anolik, Vanity Fair, 12 Jan. 2026
Lili Anolik, Vanity Fair, 12 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for open sesame
Noun
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But Cialente also captures the discordant keys of a multigenerational household, from childlike angst to youthful rebellion to marital frustration.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
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The key is integrating each solution directly into existing workflows while maintaining system uptime.—
David Chou,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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With a standby ticket, a crew member reaches the gates via normal airport security screening.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
22 Jan. 2026
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On January 24, there will be a mandatory payout meaning no matter how many winning tickets there are, the entire pool will be divided amongst the winning tickets.—
Danny Brewer,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The royal couple first posed for photos at The Kelpies in Falkirk, where a pair of 30‑meter‑tall steel horse‑head sculptures form the eastern gateway of the Forth and Clyde Canal.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
20 Jan. 2026
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Merced Merced is often known as one of the gateways to Yosemite since the national park sits less than two hours away.—
Iona Brannon,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Open sesame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/open%20sesame. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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