1
as in main
coming before all others in importance
maintains that Sir Isaac Newton remains the key figure in physical science
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in crucial
of the greatest possible importance
first—and this is key—I wasn't even there that evening
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in gateway
something that allows someone to achieve a desired goal
a good education is the key to success
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in access
the means or right of entering or participating in
he had found the key to her heart
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to reconcile
to bring to a state free of conflicts, inconsistencies, or differences
her response was perfectly keyed to the situation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of key
Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 19 Apr. 2025
The District 3 race could also play a key role on whether Mahan successfully implements his policy agenda over the next year, as his bloc currently holds a slim voting advantage on the dais that could shift if Quevedo does not win the seat.
—Devan Patel, Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2025
Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2025
The key is to clarify each of these—and be able to plan ahead.
—Tracy Brower, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025
Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 24 Feb. 2025
Early on, when Pine Creek keyed on Betts, Roberson cut to the basket for slashing layups and found an open spot on the floor for clean shots.
—Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for key
Adjective
The Democratic primary could become a litmus test for the future of the party in a key swing state and Senate contest.
—Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 19 Apr. 2025
The District 3 race could also play a key role on whether Mahan successfully implements his policy agenda over the next year, as his bloc currently holds a slim voting advantage on the dais that could shift if Quevedo does not win the seat.
—Devan Patel, Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2025
Noun
But the key is where the Brazilians were operating from.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2025
The key is to clarify each of these—and be able to plan ahead.
—Tracy Brower, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025
Verb
The forward from Richardson, Texas, keyed UConn’s comeback win over Villanova on Tuesday with 16 of his 20 points coming in the second half to go along with seven rebounds.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 24 Feb. 2025
Early on, when Pine Creek keyed on Betts, Roberson cut to the basket for slashing layups and found an open spot on the floor for clean shots.
—Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for key
Recent Examples of Synonyms for key
Adjective
-
The 9a's main camera takes 12MP images thanks to pixel binning, and the resulting shots are nearly identical to the Pixel 9 Pro's.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Approach with caution, look at reviews, and maybe don’t use your main credit card (or at least keep your bank’s dispute line handy).—
Francesca Krempa,
StyleCaster,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
With a constant wave of new competition flooding shelves—and social media—understanding your consumers' needs and habits has never been more crucial.—
Alexandra York,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
-
All of these activities, at home and abroad, have shaped health policy in crucial ways that in turn protect people’s health.—
Casey Luc,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
For the week as a whole, all four indexes were positive, led by the tech heavy Nasdaq as shown in the third column of the table.—
Robert Barone,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
-
Jackson sat down at the table with the other candidates after moderator Pastor Michael Bell asked a question about the process for hiring Fort Worth’s next police chief after current Chief Neil Noakes retires.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The problem with this model was that attackers gained immediate, easy and trusted access to everything once the firewall, gateway or VPN server creating this perimeter was breached.—
Venkat Viswanathan,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
-
At home, our Xfinity WiFi gateways and extenders create a fast, reliable, and secure connection in every corner of your home.—
Comcast,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
In addition, the projector has a quick access menu to adjust settings for gaming, a low latency frame interpolation that's automatically activated in game mode, and more.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
10 Apr. 2025
-
As a bonus for new members, the travel bundle also comes with three months of unlimited streaming access to Pvolve’s library of over 1,500 classes.—
Maggie Ryan,
Flow Space,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
After the family moved to California in the summer, Quaid filed for divorce from Buffington in November 2012 before the two reconciled again, dismissing the divorce in September 2013.—
Brendan Le,
People.com,
9 Apr. 2025
-
While some researchers attempted to reconcile these differences by suggesting that Prototaxites might be a giant lichen (a symbiotic association between fungi and photosynthetic partners), other studies instead pointed to its entirely distinct molecular fingerprint.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The port has a heavy military presence in addition to being a primary hub for fuel imports, Yemeni sources said.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
-
Its new owner’s restoration and expansion project began in 2020, maintaining the character and materials of the original building while transforming attic space into a primary suite and opening the original attic staircase to the main floor.—
Heidi Finley,
Charlotte Observer,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
This capability is particularly useful for studying critical environments like eelgrass beds, which support marine biodiversity.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
FOXNews.com,
10 Apr. 2025
-
With key players sidelined, Sacramento will now have to lean heavily on its depth during a critical stretch of the season, but at the worst possible time.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Key.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/key. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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