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.
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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.
Successive governments have kept the material to leave open the option to recycle it into new nuclear fuel.
From BBC • Jan. 24, 2025
Ballerina Farm opts out of all that because its creators can afford to, even as they leave open the question of whether this life is truly what its namesake creator wants.
From Salon • Jul. 31, 2024
If she opts not to seek reelection, it would leave open two of Virginia’s most competitive House seats, now both represented by Democrats.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 18, 2023
You might see it quietly embellished on the border of a $100,000 antique, hand-knotted rug or on a cashmere shawl, the drops long and slim, pulling away from the center to leave open space.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2023
I could argue about dogma; I defended a liberal interpretation of doctrines; I insisted that there were certain questions which we were bound to leave open.
From Spiritual Adventures by Symons, Arthur
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.
