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
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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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Muons, not electrons or protons, might hold the key.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
19 Mar. 2026
-
His sons were inside, and so were Denise Lee's purse, keys and phone.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The exhibition requires an extra ticket, $7-$9, in addition to museum general admission ($26 for adults, $21 for kids).—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
19 Mar. 2026
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Brazilian celebrities and politicians are known to frequent this exceptionally lavish event, with a black tie, long-dress dress code; tickets start from £600 and go into the thousands.—
Laura French,
TheWeek,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
What most folks may not know is that the strait is also the gateway for much of the world's fertilizer.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Mar. 2026
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The gateway effect A pair of shoes is not just footwear in the communities Buckner serves.—
Abraham Nudelstejer,
Dallas Morning News,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Open sesame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/open%20sesame. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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