barn door
Britishnoun
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the door of a barn
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informal a target so large that it cannot be missed
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photog television theatre an adjustable flap over the front of a studio or theatre lamp
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.
“The backstop becomes more important when the barn door is open,” said Matt Gardner, a senior fellow at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a progressive group.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2025
But ultimately, “access to pasture” means just that—the barn door is open, says Kestrel Burcham, a policy director at the Cornucopia Institute, a nonprofit consumer watchdog group.
From National Geographic ● Feb. 16, 2024
“Old doors offer a lot of period character regardless of what era they’re from. While they’re often warped, barn door hardware can be used to create a slider for a pantry, a closet or mudroom.”
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 7, 2023
Chelsea, meanwhile, couldn't hit a barn door and lost any momentum they may have gained after their recent displays away at Fulham and Burnley.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2023
The cows were munching hay in their stalls when the big barn door slid open and a mechanical monster stomped in from the rain.
From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
