skeleton key

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.

It’s why the conventional wisdom that air traffic controllers are the skeleton key to ending a government shutdown is so odd.

From Slate • Nov. 7, 2025

Those looking for a felt skeleton key to unlock his various idiosyncrasies aren’t likely to find one.

From New York Times • Mar. 11, 2023

Their relationship, according to “The Last of Us” co-creator and executive producer Craig Mazin, is “ultimately … the skeleton key to unlock all of this show.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 1, 2023

Handmade in Blaine, Washington, they feature rich oil-tanned leather, nylon stitching, metal hardware and an antique skeleton key.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 13, 2021

And lots of things I’ve collected: shells, rocks, a tiny glass elephant, a blackened old skeleton key my grandmother found in a chest but which unlocks nothing.

From "Rules" by Cynthia Lord