leave open
Idioms-
Keep undecided or unscheduled, as in We don't know how much fabric will be needed; let's leave that open , or The doctor leaves Fridays open for consultation . This expression uses open in the sense of “undetermined,” a usage dating from the mid-1500s.
-
leave oneself open . Remain vulnerable to; also, remain willing to consider. For example, Her actions left her open to widespread criticism , or I left myself open to further suggestions about how to proceed . Also see under lay open .
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.
They leave open the possibility of using tariffs to reduce critical dependencies in areas such as minerals, pharmaceutical ingredients or semiconductors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
The final minutes of “Wayward” appear to leave open the possibility of a second season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2025
A new system of post-Brexit border checks at Dover came into effect in April of this year, but critics have said they leave open the possibility of more illegal meat entering the UK.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2024
That would leave open the possibility that the Fed’s prime lending rates stays at, or close to, 5.5 percent, the highest in decades, through the spring and summer house-buying season.
From New York Times ● Apr. 12, 2024
They leave open only one avenue; and when the Christians enter the thicket, breaking short their lances, they rush in and fight at close quarters.
From The Highlands of Ethiopia by Harris, William Cornwallis
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.
