An obstacle or restriction, as in There are no closed doors in the new field of gene therapy . [First half of 1900s]
An obstacle or restriction, as in There are no closed doors in the new field of gene therapy . [First half of 1900s]
close one's doors . See close down . Also see behind closed doors ; close the door .
First recorded in 1930–35
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Initial closed-door negotiations for a nuclear deal were called off Friday, with the White House citing a need for more details.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
Saar's remarks follow a report by European news outlet Euractiv, which said Kallas made the comments during a closed-door meeting with Mexican government officials last month.
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
As Davis observes, no muckraking was required and the Remigration Summit involved no closed-door meetings at undisclosed locations.
From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2026
A closed-door meeting last month between Blanche and GOP senators grew heated, with lawmakers demanding answers the administration was seemingly not prepared to give.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2026
Ann secretly took notes and fed the information to Fuller and others, who used it to challenge the city about these closed-door hearings.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
But mysticism also holds sway behind the closed door of politics.
From Barron's ● Dec. 21, 2025
San Ramon police told a local news station that the closed door would have required a security guard to open.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2025
We can never know what’s happening behind a closed door, and we can never assume that someone is safe simply because of their generation, their job or their public persona.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 3, 2024
Having banged on a closed door up front for some four minutes, eventually it was simply the sheer pace of Dyer that got them over.
From BBC ● Nov. 23, 2024
She stops chattering and puts her front paws on her hips as she studies the closed door.
From "Dragons in a Bag" by Zetta Elliott
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.
