open sesame

noun

ˌō-pən-ˈse-sə-mē How to pronounce open sesame (audio)
Definition of open sesamenext
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

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.
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for open sesame
  1. key
  2. ticket
  3. gateway
Noun
  • Turang said the key is what happens when they are faced with adversity — like Sunday night.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
  • An attention head compares each word’s query with the keys of all the other words in the sentence.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of key
Noun
  • The official Instagram account for the BOK Center said that ticket refunds and additional information will be shared as soon as possible.
    — Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • For those traveling in standard class with Comfort tickets, there’s a Starbucks, Shot Neighbourhood Coffee, WHSmith and soon-to-open McDonald's, along with a vending machine selling affordable hot meals.
    — Sophia Dyer, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of ticket
Noun
  • West Coast gateways gained share, while several East and Gulf Coast ports recorded declines.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Hermeneutics as a gateway to the nucleus of spoken language, the same feeling as during childhood experiments with secret codes.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of gateway

Browse Nearby Words

open secret
open sesame
open sesames
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Open sesame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/open%20sesame. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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