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open-and-shut

[ oh-puh n-uh n-shuht ]

/ ˈoʊ pən ənˈʃʌt /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR open-and-shut ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

immediately obvious upon consideration; easily decided: an open-and-shut case of murder.

Origin of open-and-shut

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45

Words nearby open-and-shut

open up, open verdict, open with, open wound, open-air, open-and-shut, open-angle glaucoma, open-carry, open-cast, open-concept, open-cut

Example sentences from the Web for open-and-shut

Boys, it's a clean, open-and-shut job—with absolutely nothing to interfere.

The Sky Line of Spruce |Edison Marshall
And sometimes the open-and-shut of the steam hog had to go pfisty-pfoost, pfisty-pfoost.

Rootabaga Stories |Carl Sandburg
Marrying with me in this case is an open-and-shut business proposition.

Dixie Hart |Will N. Harben
But it had been all over in a breath, just an open-and-shut piece of battiness, same as fellers have when they jump a bridge.

Shorty McCabe |Sewell Ford

But McNeill's could not afford to be shown up before thirty interested rivermen as running an open-and-shut brace-game.

The Riverman |Stewart Edward White

British Dictionary definitions for open-and-shut

open-and-shut

adjective

easily decided or solved; obvious an open-and-shut case