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open-and-shut

[oh-puhn-uhn-shuht] / ˈoʊ pən ənˈʃʌt /


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

That made this an open-and-shut case, except nothing’s ever that way with Musk.

From Slate • Jun. 5, 2026

Our reviewer, Steven Poole, wrote that “the book proceeds like a convoluted murder mystery, introducing one suspect after another in what seems like an open-and-shut case, before puncturing the promising narrative with an inconvenient fact.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

Despite the recordings that made it seem like an open-and-shut case, the prosecutions of Echeverria and Pineda stretched on for years, winding through the L.A.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 1, 2025

This is not an open-and-shut case despite how many people would like to believe it is.

From Salon • May 15, 2024

But when it comes to cause and effect, there is often a trap in such open-and-shut thinking.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt




Vocabulary lists containing open-and-shut


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