delete key

noun

variants: or delete or less commonly Delete key or Delete

Definition of delete key

computers

: a key on a computer keyboard that when pressed deletes either a selected item (such as an icon or a block of text) or the character that immediately follows the cursor in a document

Examples of delete key in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Your touch is on the paper; handwritten words in a letter cannot disappear with a click of the delete key. — Linda Solomon, Freep.com, "Words that live forever," 19 Dec. 2020 Westworld season 3 ended in a rather Westworld-ian way: By hitting its narrative control-alt-delete keys all at the same time for a potential re-re-reboot of the story for next season. — James Hibberd, EW.com, "Westworld season 3 finale recap: Apocalypse now," 4 May 2020 The caps lock key is half size, the arrow keys are surrounded by home and end keys, and worst of all, the delete key is found right next to the backspace key, with no space between them. — Dan Seifert, The Verge, "Acer Swift 7 review: thin at all costs," 2 Aug. 2019 Something like a pencil and paper, with a delete key. — Leah Garchik, San Francisco Chronicle, "Vacationing in Sicily and New York, thinking of San Francisco," 4 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'delete key.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.