All phrases › leave the door open
What does “leave the door open” mean?
Meaning, example sentence and a quick practice question.
C1
To keep a possibility available for later, rather than closing it off
“I turned down the job, but I left the door open for next year.”
From the C1 lesson Making Plans (invitations and arranging).
Quick check
What does “leave the door open” mean?
Teaching this phrase?“leave the door open” is part of a ready-to-teach lesson, with a reading, three exercises, speaking tasks and an answer key, in Everyday English Chunks C1 Pack 2 (Plans, Problems and Feelings).
See the C1 lesson pack
See the C1 lesson pack
Or get all 32 lessons in the complete C1 course and save 25%.
Want to use phrases like this with confidence?Practice them in a one-to-one lesson with me, an experienced online English teacher.
Book a lesson
Book a lesson
Related phrases
- take someone up on (something)to accept an offer or invitation that someone has made
- at your conveniencewhenever suits you, with no particular rush
- a standing invitationan invitation that's always open, and doesn't need to be renewed
- keep your options opento avoid committing to one choice, so you can decide later
- touch baseto make brief contact with someone to give or get an update
- tentative plansplans that aren't fixed yet, and may change
- pencil someone/something into provisionally schedule something, knowing it might change
- iron out the detailsto resolve the small remaining problems in a plan
- get the ball rollingto start something moving or happening