open season

noun

1
: a period when it is legal to kill or catch game or fish protected at other times by law
2
: a time during which someone or something is the object of sustained attack or criticism

Examples of open season in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That could create an open season for kickbacks — a price no business wants to pay. Bernhard Warner, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2025 The bill died after testimony in early February, but Worthington worries if neighboring states are any indication, this won’t be the last time Wyoming lawmakers propose an open season on lions. Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 13 Feb. 2025 The effect of these executive orders was to convey, much more effectively than in 2017, an open season, in which virtually nothing—from the boundaries of the U.S. and the solidity of jury verdicts to who gets to be an American citizen—is guaranteed. Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2025 The feeling was the Bears needed to land their candidate — the other finalists were Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and former Colts and Lions head coach Jim Caldwell — before open season for hiring began after the conference championship games on Jan. 30. Phil Rogers, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for open season 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1890, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of open season was circa 1890

Dictionary Entries Near open season

Cite this Entry

“Open season.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/open%20season. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

open season

noun
: a time when it is legal to hunt game or catch fish that are legally protected at other times
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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