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
Relevance
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
Lili Anolik, Vanity Fair, 12 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for open sesame
Noun
-
The key is to start where friction is highest, whether that’s customer responses, proposals, first-pass marketing copy or product listings, and introduce a simple review checklist that defines what must be accurate, what must never be claimed, and what requires human sign-off.—
Alison Coleman,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Her dreams of late had all been like this, trying to pack without a bag or leave the house without her keys, trying to read without her contacts.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Concert tickets routinely include service and transaction fees—rightly criticized, but widely normalized.—
Shain Shapiro,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Bill Belichick’s resume screams one-way ticket to Canton, Ohio, but when he wasn’t voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, many were left flabbergasted on Tuesday night.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Osborne, who visited Beijing regularly, attempted to position London’s financial district as a gateway for Chinese money into Europe and helped secure investment in British nuclear power stations.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Kalshi’s exchange is embedded in the Robinhood and Webull apps, which act as a brokerages and have different business goals for prediction markets, wanting to use them as a gateway to other products.—
Dan Bernstein,
Sportico.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Open sesame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/open%20sesame. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
