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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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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The key is a hot grill (gas, charcoal, or even an indoor grill pan), a little confidence, and a few reliable techniques.—
Phoebe Fry,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
13 May 2026
-
This adjustable sling bag has plenty of space for your phone, cash, keys, and other daily essentials, and is constructed with locking zippers to ward off potential thieves.—
Amelia McBride,
Travel + Leisure,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
In January, 2019, amid the popular uprising that would ultimately dissolve Bashir’s government, Ibrahim’s employer assisted the family in obtaining visas and plane tickets to Jordan.—
Annie Hylton,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
The budget carrier shut down on May 2, eliminating one of the country’s biggest providers of ultra-cheap airfares just as fuel prices and summer travel demand are already pushing ticket costs higher.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
13 May 2026
Noun
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The war in Iran has failed to slow down container traffic at the Port of Los Angeles, with the California gateway handling its largest total cargo volumes of 2026.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
12 May 2026
-
Albuquerque, home to the state’s largest airport, is a gateway.—
Bill Addison,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Open sesame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/open%20sesame. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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