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• wide-open
  wide-open

  adjective

  opened to the full extent.
• wide open
  wide open

  Unresolved, unsettled, as in The fate of that former colony is still wide open . [Mid-1900s]

wide-open

American  

[wahyd-oh-puhn] / ˈwaɪdˈoʊ pən /

adjective

1. opened to the full extent.

   a wide-open window.

2. lacking laws or strict enforcement of laws concerning liquor, vice, gambling, etc..

   a wide-open town.

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wide-open British  

adjective

1. open to the full extent

2. (postpositive) exposed to attack; vulnerable

3. uncertain as to outcome

4. informal (of a town or city) lax in the enforcement of certain laws, esp those relating to the sale and consumption of alcohol, gambling, the control of vice, etc

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wide open Idioms  

1. Unresolved, unsettled, as in The fate of that former colony is still wide open . [Mid-1900s]

2. Unprotected or vulnerable, as in That remark about immigrants left him wide open to hostile criticism . This expression originated in boxing, where it signifies being off one's guard and open to an opponent's punches. It began to be used more broadly about 1940. Also see leave open .

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Etymology

Origin of wide-open

First recorded in 1850–55

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wide-open wide open

Chabria: This is definitely a wide-open race, with, I suspect, contenders not yet on any lists.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026

There is some hope for people who remember those old internet communities, as well as the nostalgic youngsters who never knew a more wide-open internet.

From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026

San Antonio had built its mammoth lead with Wembanyama pummeling the Knicks inside and freeing up his teammates for wide-open looks from the perimeter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026

Thanks to wide-open spaces, low taxes and abundant energy, the Wyoming capital along Interstate 80 has become a data-center mecca.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026

The splintered wood looked like teeth in a wide-open mouth.

From "I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005" by Lauren Tarshis

Jayawardhana said Caltech is “based on merit,” aims to keep “doors wide open and wants to recruit from a full cross section of society.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026

The biggest scandal in the modern history of professional sports broke wide open across the Atlantic this past week.

From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026

If so, do so with your eyes wide open.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026

Kiffin’s designs launched receivers into wide open grass and sent running backs bursting clean through the line of scrimmage.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026

This door he leaves wide open to the night air.

From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers

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Related Words

• lawless
• ungoverned

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