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
  • The Perfect Warm-Up: Ezra Collective Brings the Fire Brit Award and Mercury Prize winning British band Ezra Collective set the stage for Stevie Wonder with an energy-filled, all guns blazing performance full of magical keys, sublime saxophone and dazzling drumming.
    Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
  • As Pentagon leaders see it, the key is to get unmanned systems ready to go immediately.
    Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 July 2025
Noun
  • The tournament is proud to offer a chance to queue up for same-day tickets; a grounds pass for a day of tennis costs thirty pounds.
    Sam Knight, New Yorker, 12 July 2025
  • According to Friday exit polls, 68 percent of Superman ticket buyers were male, while nearly two-thirds of the audience were between the ages of 18 and 34.
    Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 12 July 2025
Noun
  • Understanding your trauma response can be a gateway to real change.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
  • Elston should be the gateway to Lincoln Yards, but when a popular band is performing at the Salt Shed between Division Street and North Avenue, Elston seizes up.
    F.K. Plous, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 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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Cite this Entry

“Open sesame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/open%20sesame. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.

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