open the way
idiom
: to make (something) easier or more likely to happen
—often + for or to
The court ruling opened the way for similar cases.
It has opened the way to real progress.
Examples of open the way in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Thune is warning Senate GOP colleagues that ending the emergency order Trump has invoked to place tariffs on Canadian imports would open the way for drug cartels to shift their smuggling operations to the northern border.
—
Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 1 Apr. 2025
The court battle comes at a critical time for Keytruda, which is facing the approaching expiration of some key patents starting in 2028 that could potentially open the way for less costly versions known as biosimilars.
—Alex Knapp, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
The House heard the bill for the first time Wednesday, with three Democratic lawmakers proposing amendments that would open the way for Indiana counties to leave the state, only allow Indiana to take fiscally responsible Illinois counties and legalize marijuana in Indiana.
—Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2025
The fresh attacks come as a delegation from Hamas engages in ceasefire talks in Cairo with Egyptian mediators who have been helping facilitate the talks along with officials from Qatar, aiming to proceed to the next stage of the deal, which could open the way to ending the war.
—Reuters, NBC News, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for open the way
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.
Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 1 Apr. 2025
The court battle comes at a critical time for Keytruda, which is facing the approaching expiration of some key patents starting in 2028 that could potentially open the way for less costly versions known as biosimilars.
—Alex Knapp, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
The House heard the bill for the first time Wednesday, with three Democratic lawmakers proposing amendments that would open the way for Indiana counties to leave the state, only allow Indiana to take fiscally responsible Illinois counties and legalize marijuana in Indiana.
—Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2025
The fresh attacks come as a delegation from Hamas engages in ceasefire talks in Cairo with Egyptian mediators who have been helping facilitate the talks along with officials from Qatar, aiming to proceed to the next stage of the deal, which could open the way to ending the war.
—Reuters, NBC News, 8 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for open the way
Cite this Entry
“Open the way.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/open%20the%20way. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share