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.
“Courts cannot enjoin implementation of Executive Orders that leave open material issues that still need to be resolved by agencies,” he wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
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
Successive governments have kept the material to leave open the option to recycle it into new nuclear fuel.
From BBC ● Jan. 24, 2025
McAfee did leave open the possibility of Fulton County, Ga. District Attorney Fani Willis' office pursuing a reindictment expanding the six scrapped counts with more details.
From Salon ● Mar. 14, 2024
Now that you have admired it minutely, my dear colleague in antiquarian research," said my host, "let us, by your leave, open a scientific conference.
From Abb? Aubain and Mosaics by Prosper M?rim?e
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.
