as in obvious
not subject to misinterpretation or more than one interpretation
an open-and-shut case of robbery
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Recent Examples of open-and-shut
For what’s been characterized as an open-and-shut case, there are still a lot of questions about the slayings of Hollywood icon Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele.
—
Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 7 Jan. 2026
Lamar Jackson makes that an open-and-shut case.
—Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 6 Jan. 2026
As the years wore on, police and prosecutors released no updates to the public on why a case presented as open-and-shut was taking so long to reach a jury.
—Kyle Hopkins, ProPublica, 24 Dec. 2025
The killings initially appeared to be an open-and-shut case of murder-suicide, at the hands of Jeremy’s sister, Sheila.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2025
Especially after Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey, asked Tuesday afternoon to define Melvin’s status, declined to provide an open-and-shut answer.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
From the outset, this seemed like an open-and-shut case.
—Gemma Allen, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
Pricing and Value So far, it's been an open-and-shut case for Nvidia's GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB, right?
—PC Magazine, 22 June 2025
Even with the video secured, however, the case is far from open-and-shut legally: The thin blue line gets awfully blurred as Stéphanie runs into infuriating technicalities and roadblocks from higher-ups.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 15 May 2025
Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 7 Jan. 2026
Lamar Jackson makes that an open-and-shut case.
—Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 6 Jan. 2026
As the years wore on, police and prosecutors released no updates to the public on why a case presented as open-and-shut was taking so long to reach a jury.
—Kyle Hopkins, ProPublica, 24 Dec. 2025
The killings initially appeared to be an open-and-shut case of murder-suicide, at the hands of Jeremy’s sister, Sheila.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2025
Especially after Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey, asked Tuesday afternoon to define Melvin’s status, declined to provide an open-and-shut answer.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
From the outset, this seemed like an open-and-shut case.
—Gemma Allen, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
Pricing and Value So far, it's been an open-and-shut case for Nvidia's GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16GB, right?
—PC Magazine, 22 June 2025
Even with the video secured, however, the case is far from open-and-shut legally: The thin blue line gets awfully blurred as Stéphanie runs into infuriating technicalities and roadblocks from higher-ups.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 15 May 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for open-and-shut
Adjective
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Add to the Compost Pile Sending banana peels to the compost bin is the easiest—and perhaps most obvious—way to use them.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Targets at safety It’s become obvious that this year’s safety draft class has the chance to produce a good amount of quality starters.—
Joseph Hoyt,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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And yet what’s readily apparent is that this weird, fragile, insular family is genuinely keen on folding Tommy into their lives.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
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Officers then began taking apart the tank, which was not factory standard, and discovered the woman lying in a puddle of gasoline, appearing disoriented and suffering from apparent chemical burns to her legs and feet; she was taken to a hospital for medical evaluation, treated and quickly released.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Also, the device parts are affordable and straightforward.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The treatments are straightforward—body scrubs, massages, facials in any combination.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Nine total jawbones emerged over time, each displaying that same unmistakable twist.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Mar. 2026
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But no matter the sub that fired the torpedo, the historical significance is unmistakable.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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That restraint was evident during Iran’s conflict with Israel last year and subsequent US aerial attacks, when China similarly only offered rhetorical support.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The in-demand event planner and lifestyle expert, who’s put on shindigs for celebs like Elton John, Jennifer Lopez, and Matthew McConaughey, has put his own spin on the seven-bedroom manse, evident in touches like a bedroom with textured gold wallpaper and a floral-print laundry room.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Though the conversation didn't quite reach any actionable solutions beyond what has been discussed as already in progress, like Rawls' work, there was one clear message potently felt across the room — one of urgency.—
Monisha Ravisetti,
Space.com,
5 Mar. 2026
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The WhatsApp logs show Carvajal deleted a total 14 messages sent by other participants in the chat and 42 of his own messages before the Herald obtained the logs, so the full extent of his participation is not clear.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But Yee hopes that straight talk and her distinct lack of ornamentation will count for something with California voters.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Their resistance carried distinct risks.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Open-and-shut.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/open-and-shut. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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