open sesame

noun

ˌō-pən-ˈse-sə-mē How to pronounce open sesame (audio)
Definition of open sesamenext
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

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.
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for open sesame
  1. key
  2. ticket
  3. gateway
Noun
  • That’s key for leadership positions but also for candidates who are pivoting careers or have employment gaps.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The forecasting formula developed by Thomas is still kept under literal lock and key at the almanac’s headquarters in Dublin, New Hampshire, in an actual black box.
    — HubSpot, HubSpot, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of key
Noun
  • Despite the slower pace of things pre-internet, all 250,000 tickets had gone within nine hours.
    — Devinder Bains, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Simply buy your ticket, sit back, and enjoy Mother Nature’s awe-inspiring spectacle.
    — Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of ticket
Noun
  • The Gulf is an attractive destination as a gateway market to the Global South as well as a place to draw capital, Alwadi said in an interview.
    — Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Hop off the train in Truckee, California, the gateway to the Lake Tahoe region, which transforms into a wonderland of colorful foliage come October.
    — Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of gateway

Browse Nearby Words

open secret
open sesame
open sesames
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Open sesame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/open%20sesame. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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