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
Her payments were spotty, the lawyer said, but overall, the case had been open-and-shut.
—
Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 18 Mar. 2026
For what’s been characterized as an open-and-shut case, there are still a lot of questions about the slayings of Hollywood icon Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 7 Jan. 2026
Lamar Jackson makes that an open-and-shut case.
—Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 6 Jan. 2026
As the years wore on, police and prosecutors released no updates to the public on why a case presented as open-and-shut was taking so long to reach a jury.
—Kyle Hopkins, ProPublica, 24 Dec. 2025
The killings initially appeared to be an open-and-shut case of murder-suicide, at the hands of Jeremy’s sister, Sheila.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2025
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
Maggie Harrison Dupré, Futurism, 18 Mar. 2026
For what’s been characterized as an open-and-shut case, there are still a lot of questions about the slayings of Hollywood icon Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele.
—Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 7 Jan. 2026
Lamar Jackson makes that an open-and-shut case.
—Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 6 Jan. 2026
As the years wore on, police and prosecutors released no updates to the public on why a case presented as open-and-shut was taking so long to reach a jury.
—Kyle Hopkins, ProPublica, 24 Dec. 2025
The killings initially appeared to be an open-and-shut case of murder-suicide, at the hands of Jeremy’s sister, Sheila.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for open-and-shut
Adjective
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Besides their obvious beauty, wicker baskets are superior for storage (especially laundry), providing excellent ventilation that prevents mold and mildew from damaging your linens.—
Ashley Poskin,
Martha Stewart,
2 May 2026
-
Driving through this area of the West Bank, east of Ramallah, the expansion is obvious from the main roads.—
Molly Hunter,
NBC news,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
Jayson Tatum also suffered an apparent calf injury, which is a major concern for a player just under a year removed from an Achilles injury.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
2 May 2026
-
Upon arrival, officers discovered a man in his 20s with apparent gunshot wounds.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
2 May 2026
Adjective
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But Kinahan’s capture may have a more straightforward explanation.—
Ed Caesar,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The appeal is pretty straightforward.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But, rewatching the film 20 years later (March 31 was the actual anniversary), Gunn's fingerprints are unmistakable, from the highly quotable dialogue to the quirky soundtrack lifted from the outer reaches of Gunn's eclectic music collection.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
1 May 2026
-
In Moby Dick, Wilson cleaves to the story’s central existential quest, evoking the strangeness and humor of his source material through his own unmistakable landscapes.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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That became more evident in September, when Harry visited Charles amid the king's cancer diagnosis.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
As the town is engulfed by the haunt, there’s a recognition evident in Rhys’ reactions, as if the horrors Tom’s facing are simultaneously too ludicrous to accept and too familiar to reject.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Only one Republican state has a relatively clear path to gaining seats from the decision in time for the midterms — Florida.—
Nicholas Riccardi,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Which oil executives in attendance were not immediately clear.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Culture and Tourism Minister Nuri Ersoy announced this remarkable discovery on social media, describing it as an exemplary work of art featuring a distinct style, according to Turkiye Today.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Matt Boldy might be one of the most underrated players in the NHL, but yeah, that was one very distinct kicking motion.—
Matt Reigle OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Open-and-shut.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/open-and-shut. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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