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
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
That detracts from the open-and-shut case against the university.
—Betsy McCaughey, Boston Herald, 11 May 2025
What looked like an open-and-shut victory for Natalia has suddenly become an impossible case.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 30 Apr. 2025
The jury deliberated for less than one hour per count to deliver its verdict, suggesting this was an open-and-shut case.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 13 Jan. 2025
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
That detracts from the open-and-shut case against the university.
—Betsy McCaughey, Boston Herald, 11 May 2025
What looked like an open-and-shut victory for Natalia has suddenly become an impossible case.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 30 Apr. 2025
The jury deliberated for less than one hour per count to deliver its verdict, suggesting this was an open-and-shut case.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 13 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for open-and-shut
Adjective
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What’s less obvious is that the people and institutions providing those inputs - researchers, hospitals, startups or even individuals - rarely receive credit or compensation for their knowledge.—
Amy Guttman,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
-
Breakfast Some of the most obvious breakfast UPFs include sugary cereals and toaster pastries.—
Andrea Margolis , Peter Burke,
FOXNews.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The second series investigates deaths involving apparent falls from heights — examining whether victims were pushed from locations like balconies, cliffs and bridges.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
-
The consequences of the current fracturing may not be apparent right away.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
How and why the Great North Run has remained and remains relevant is not linear or straightforward.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
-
The logic for this belief is straightforward.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The timetable is phased with equal pricing in 2025 and VoP on a staggered schedule through 2027–28, but the strategic direction is unmistakable.—
Zennon Kapron,
Forbes.com,
17 Aug. 2025
-
The entrance is unmistakable—just look for the giant lion’s head.—
Kim Kay,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Still, sometimes the heat is impossible to ignore — evident in the small sweat stains on Dinkel’s blue collared shirt.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
-
The football landscape has changed 20 years on, and 10 new signings show United wanted to change the squad, but there is evident faith in retaining the nucleus of Farke’s 2025 centurions.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The find represents the first clear detection of a baby planet taking shape within a disk of dust and gas with multiple rings.—
Eric Lagatta,
AZCentral.com,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Instead, Castilla says youths can eat a nutritious diet packed with fruits, vegetables, lean meat and whole grains, since studies have shown a strong connection between a healthy gut and clear skin.—
Khanh T.L. Tran,
USA Today,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
China’s three distinct tech phases China’s tech success over the past 20 years was really achieved in three phases.—
Rich Karlgaard,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Do a separate soil test for each distinct area of your yard, such as existing or future vegetable gardens, flower beds, and lawns, because the lab recommendations will depend on the type of plants in that area.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Open-and-shut.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/open-and-shut. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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