wide-open
adjective
opened to the full extent.
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wide-open
American
[wahyd-oh-puhn]
/ ˈwaɪdˈoʊ pən /
adjective
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opened to the full extent.
a wide-open window.
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lacking laws or strict enforcement of laws concerning liquor, vice, gambling, etc..
a wide-open town.
wide-open
British
adjective
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open to the full extent
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(postpositive) exposed to attack; vulnerable
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uncertain as to outcome
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informal (of a town or city) lax in the enforcement of certain laws, esp those relating to the sale and consumption of alcohol, gambling, the control of vice, etc
wide open
Idioms
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Unresolved, unsettled, as in The fate of that former colony is still wide open . [Mid-1900s]
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Unprotected or vulnerable, as in That remark about immigrants left him wide open to hostile criticism . This expression originated in boxing, where it signifies being off one's guard and open to an opponent's punches. It began to be used more broadly about 1940. Also see leave open .
Etymology
Origin of wide-open
First recorded in 1850–55
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.
Brand names such as Mercedes and Audi might conjure up images of wide-open autobahns, but when it comes to Formula One, the real nitty-gritty happens in Brackley and Bicester.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
Not long ago, Abdul El-Sayed was polling third place in the three-way race for the Democratic nomination for Michigan’s wide-open Senate seat, set to be decided by voters on Aug. 4.
From Slate • Apr. 29, 2026
A row of counter seats along a wide-open window gives its patrons a ringside seat to watch street life go by.
From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026
The jury award comes amid a rare wide-open governor’s race that includes the head of the Sheriff’s Department, Chad Bianco, who is a leading GOP candidate for the seat.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026
Back in the narrow alleys he wasn't usually afraid, but it was different here on the wide-open square.
From "The Thief Lord" by Cornelia Funke
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.
