1
2
: a short strap, ribbon, or chain attached especially to a pocket watch
3
: an ornament attached to a fob chain
4
or key fob
: an object attached to a key chain or key ring
especially
: a small electronic device used typically in place of a key (as to unlock a door or start a vehicle) or to remotely initiate the action of another device (such as a garage door)
Wireless systems are triggered by pressing a button on a remote fob much like those used for car alarms. —
Max Alexander
Max Alexander The remote-start key fob has a range of several hundred feet, allowing you to start the car's engine from inside your home. —Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports Examples of fob in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebScotty Reiss, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024
For the anti-theft software to work, the vehicle must be locked using a button on the key fob — not by turning the metal key in the door lock.
—Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN, 7 Aug. 2024
Eren Orbey, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023
See all Example Sentences for fob 
Noun
And, owners can keep a ‘key’ in Apple Wallet or a Google Pixel phone and lock, unlock and drive the Rivian without a physical key fob.
—Scotty Reiss, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024
For the anti-theft software to work, the vehicle must be locked using a button on the key fob — not by turning the metal key in the door lock.
—Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN, 7 Aug. 2024
Verb
My mom fobbed me off with wistful trips around the city.
—Eren Orbey, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023
See all Example Sentences for fob
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fob.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Fob.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fob. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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