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.
The final minutes of “Wayward” appear to leave open the possibility of a second season.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 25, 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
Whilst no decision has been made, it does at least leave open the possibility of the Dutchman remaining in position into next season, as he himself has suggested with his public statements.
From BBC • Mar. 9, 2024
As a result, she said, the Fed should leave open the possibility of another increase in interest rates.
From New York Times • Jan. 20, 2024
What course does that leave open to the Americans, save to resist the British, thereby become involved in a war, and so aid France?
From The Naval History of the United States Volume 1 by Abbot, Willis J. (Willis John)
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.
