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

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for open sesame
Noun
  • Havaianas Keys flip-flop, in black, which was decked out with silver keys along the straps.
    Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 5 Aug. 2025
  • Luigi Ferrucci, the scientific director of the National Institute on Aging, suggests that the key is the mitochondria, the battery of the cell.
    Tad Friend, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • California adjusts lottery prizes based on the number of tickets sold and number of winners.
    Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 17 Aug. 2025
  • Nearly 215,000 other tickets sold in the United States also won prizes ranging from $10 to $150,000 in the drawing, the lottery said.
    Don Sweeney, Miami Herald, 17 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • This can be a gateway to opportunities that might not have fit within the original career plan, offering a valuable safety net in the event of involuntary career changes.
    Philip Samson, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
  • Flowers were a gateway to Murray paying attention to what brought her peace.
    Keyaira Boone, Essence, 7 Aug. 2025
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.

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“Open sesame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/open%20sesame. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

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