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
Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2025
Optical connectivity is emerging as a key enabler, and at the forefront of this transformation is Teramount: An Israeli startup co-founded by Dr. Hesham Taha and Dr. Avi Israel.
—Kyle J. Russell, USA TODAY, 25 Jan. 2025
Deb Amlen, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
From interns documenting their experiences at their first conference to a CEO celebrating a new product launch, the key is simply to make social part of your company culture.
—Bradley Keenan, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
New Atlas, 3 Jan. 2025
Before all the fanfare surrounding tunnel outfits Sanders keyed in on personal style in a unique manner.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 3 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for key 
Adjective
Harvard-Westlake is the two-time defending state champion but was supposed to face more challenges after losing several key players to graduation.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2025
Optical connectivity is emerging as a key enabler, and at the forefront of this transformation is Teramount: An Israeli startup co-founded by Dr. Hesham Taha and Dr. Avi Israel.
—Kyle J. Russell, USA TODAY, 25 Jan. 2025
Noun
Spoiler alert: Subscribers can take a peek at the answer key.
—Deb Amlen, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
From interns documenting their experiences at their first conference to a CEO celebrating a new product launch, the key is simply to make social part of your company culture.
—Bradley Keenan, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
And for aficionados with specific tastes, there's always the option to key in your own settings and save them to the machine.
—New Atlas, 3 Jan. 2025
Before all the fanfare surrounding tunnel outfits Sanders keyed in on personal style in a unique manner.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 3 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for key
Recent Examples of Synonyms for key
Adjective
-
Israel would pull its troops back from Gaza's main population centers in the first stage of the deal, allowing its residents to return to what remains of their homes as more humanitarian aid permeates the Strip and those who are injured receive treatment.—
Ellie Cook,
Newsweek,
19 Jan. 2025
-
The concert at the country’s main public square settled a pending debt with his Mexican fans, after postponing a presentation originally scheduled for September due to a domestic accident that resulted in five fractured ribs and forced him to suspend a series of shows in Mexico and Colombia.—
Natalia Cano,
Billboard,
19 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
For product leaders, the implications are clear: The future belongs to platforms that can turn those crucial first moments from an awkward introduction into the beginning of a valuable relationship.—
Kalyan Garimella,
Forbes,
22 Jan. 2025
-
Leading 4-2 with 12 minutes left to play, Benfica looked on course for a crucial victory to boost its chances of reaching the latter stages of the competition.—
George Ramsay,
CNN,
22 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
According to the post, the venue's wedding coordinator returned to the guests' table throughout the evening to discuss the tasting items with them.—
Kristen Waggoner,
Newsweek,
22 Jan. 2025
-
And, in fact, when President Biden took the use of force off the table even before Russia’s full-scale invasion, that was one of the least controversial aspects of his policy toward this war.—
Isaac Chotiner,
The New Yorker,
21 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Immediately after the Voyager returned its first images of Saturn's strange feature, even stranger theories arose to explain it, including that it was somehow related to alien technology, or perhaps even was a gateway to hell.—
Ailsa Harvey,
Space.com,
17 Jan. 2025
-
The city is the gateway to Puglia’s Salento peninsula, which is known for fantastic beaches on both the Adriatic and Ionian seas.—
Laura Itzkowitz,
AFAR Media,
15 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
That September, the Commerce Department announced its plans to restrict access to TikTok and WeChat, a messaging app, in response to an August 2020 executive order from then President Donald Trump.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
19 Jan. 2025
-
Various efforts to limit TikTok and the Chinese government’s access to American user data were undertaken in 2020 and 2021.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
19 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
That seemingly leaves a vulnerability that any Trump deal allowing ByteDance to maintain control of the algorithm would likely have to reconcile.—
Ashley Belanger,
Ars Technica,
27 Jan. 2025
-
This story comes about from a very basic human thing, which is loving one’s home and feeling good there, and then being forced to reconcile with that home being fragile and occasionally being taken from us.—
Matt Brennan,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Testers consider performance across four primary categories: efficacy, safety (including ease of use), research and the science behind specific claims, as well as product value.—
Jenny Berg,
Allure,
24 Jan. 2025
-
Houston’s primary return in the Pressly trade would be salary relief and some flexibility for other acquisitions.—
Sahadev Sharma,
The Athletic,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
This convergence of opportunity and uncertainty sets the stage for a critical inflection point.—
Jason Snyder,
Forbes,
19 Jan. 2025
-
Even still, despite being a critical success, with only a limited release, the film was a relative dud at the box office.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
19 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near key
Cite this Entry
“Key.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/key. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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