open sesame

noun

open ses·​a·​me ˌō-pən-ˈse-sə-mē 

: something that unfailingly brings about a desired end

Synonyms of open sesame

• key
• ticket
• gateway

Examples of open sesame in a Sentence

Perfect test scores are an open sesame to the best schools.

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

Recent Examples on the Web

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

Word History

Etymology

from open sesame, the magical command used by Ali Baba to open the door of the robbers' den in Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves

First Known Use

1814, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

open sesame

noun

: something that always works to bring about a desired result

Etymology

from open sesame, the magical command used by Ali Baba to open the door of the robbers' den in the story Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves