skeleton key
noun
plural skeleton keys
: a key with a large part of the bit filed away to enable it to open low quality locks as a master key
called also passkey
Examples of skeleton key in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Art and music and film and dance and so many other pieces of work where people just put their blood and guts into it, those things have been skeleton keys for me.
—
Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 19 Aug. 2024
Stem cells can divide and renew themselves over a long period of time and are kind of like a skeleton key.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 1 Aug. 2024
First, Microsoft should not have had a single skeleton key that, when inevitably stolen, could be used to forge access to different customers’ private communications.
—Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 27 July 2023
Bill explained that on the sills over several of the doors, there sit different skeleton keys.
—Lennie Omalza, The Courier-Journal, 24 Aug. 2023
See all Example Sentences for skeleton key 
Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 19 Aug. 2024
Stem cells can divide and renew themselves over a long period of time and are kind of like a skeleton key.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 1 Aug. 2024
First, Microsoft should not have had a single skeleton key that, when inevitably stolen, could be used to forge access to different customers’ private communications.
—Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 27 July 2023
Bill explained that on the sills over several of the doors, there sit different skeleton keys.
—Lennie Omalza, The Courier-Journal, 24 Aug. 2023
See all Example Sentences for skeleton key
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'skeleton key.' 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
“Skeleton key.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/skeleton%20key. Accessed 25 Sep. 2024.
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