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Definitions

key

[kee] / ki /


NOUN
item that unlocks
Synonyms
Antonyms




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.

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That might suggest England are relying too heavily on Bellingham and Kane, but equally shows how their two key players are in the form of their lives.

From BBC Jul. 15, 2026

China's property market was once a key driver of national growth, but has become a stumbling block.

From Barron's Jul. 15, 2026

Retail sales, a key gauge of consumption, rose 1.0% from a year earlier in June, compared with May’s 0.6% decline and the 0.1% fall expected by economists.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 15, 2026

Morningstar analyst Luke Yang told MarketWatch that hardware “eating everyone’s lunch” is a key theme in the market now.

From MarketWatch Jul. 14, 2026

If he couldn’t get Sinchi to open the door and talk to them, how was he supposed to get the next key?

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova

“Navigating the Pentagon is something that we had to figure out on our own. No one has the keys to the castle,” said Monroe-Anderson.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 14, 2026

Pelosi said she is largely handing over the keys to managing the institute and its programming to Berkeley, while lending her name, congressional expertise and contacts to foster its growth.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 29, 2026

Bodfish said completing the purchase and getting the keys to the house had been "surreal".

From BBC Jun. 22, 2026

The company holds the keys to outer space for many companies and for the U.S. government, dominating the rocket-launch industry with few rivals capable of challenging it.

From MarketWatch Jun. 18, 2026

Danny dug into his bag and retrieved the arrow keys from his lunch box.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova

The emotional tone of each vocal performance is beautifully keyed to each song’s context.

From Salon Jul. 14, 2026

Home runs by Anaiyah Popoalii and Ashannalee Titialii keyed the win.

From Los Angeles Times May 30, 2026

In 2023, trio keyed in on the Arroyo Grande home of Susan Flores, a short distance from Ruben Flores’ house.

From Los Angeles Times May 6, 2026

The company appeared to use a mix of derivative contracts, including options, that were keyed off oil prices.

From Barron's Mar. 24, 2026

She had been keyed to fever pitch these past few weeks and it was well past midnight now.

From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein

“When the market is keying off fundamentals, around earnings season of these companies, these stocks rally,” Slimmon said.

From The Wall Street Journal Dec. 18, 2025

Once again, the internet flooded with Black Flag memes keying on the considerable age gap between Ginn, who is 70, and his new bandmates who look many decades, if not generations, younger.

From Los Angeles Times May 29, 2025

In the nearby city of San José, a man was arrested March 17 for allegedly keying a Tesla parked in a Costco lot.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 1, 2025

According to the Code of Practice, parking charges should not be pursued where the driver has "paid the tariff but made a minor keying error when registering their vehicle".

From BBC Mar. 1, 2025

He consulted his notes, keying in on one thing in particular.

From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles




Vocabulary lists containing key


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