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
The closed-door meeting, reported by Spanish media, is already clouded in controversy, as some of the main victims' associations said they were not invited.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 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
Although the final draft of the document was conspicuously silent on slavery, the subject itself haunted the closed-door debates.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
