as in keys
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 sesames
Noun
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Her employee badge, keys and computer were confiscated, according to the memo.—
Jessica Seaman,
Denver Post,
11 Feb. 2026 -
Music lovers have gone so far as to assign feelings to the keys that songs are played in.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Miami placed first with 250 winning tickets and Orlando third with 188.—
Scott Butler,
Florida Times-Union,
10 Feb. 2026
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Being here, paying however many thousands for tickets and airfare and all the related costs, is for something else.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Cortina d’Ampezzo is perched in the Veneto region and can be reached from several major gateways, including Venice and Milan, by train or car.—
Elycia Rubin,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
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China’s Hong Kong and Macau affairs office issued a scathing criticism of the Panama Supreme Court’s ruling that CK Hutchison’s contract to operate two Panama Canal-adjacent ports is unconstitutional—further ramping up international rhetoric surrounding the future of the gateways.—
Sourcing Journal,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Millions of women whose married names aren’t on their birth certificates or passports would also face extra hurdles to register to vote and cast their ballots.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
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The models can also devise fake documents, like passports, Lestrange said.—
Ayana Archie,
NPR,
10 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Open sesames.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/open%20sesames. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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