key to

verb

keyed to; keying to; keys to

chiefly US

1

: to make (something) suitable for (a particular use or type of person)

I try to key my lectures to my audience.

—often used as (be) keyed to

The educational program is keyed to the needs of working women.

2

: to change (something) in a way that is closely related to (something else)

—usually used as (be) keyed to

The amount of money they receive is keyed to the rate of inflation.

Examples of key to in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Credits have been a key to Tesla’s profitability in previous challenging quarters, but they were abolished in the United States with Musk’s blessing in 2025. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 22 July 2026

Because TDEs are common to less massive supermassive black holes, counting their occurrence at cosmic noon could give an indication of the masses of black holes during that epoch — the key to determining between heavy seeds and light seeds. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 22 July 2026

According to Margaux Mahoney, marketing director at Drybar, the key to locking the shape is applying volumizing spray on the lower half of the hair. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 22 July 2026

Rotating the pot every few days is another key to getting stems that grow straight rather than leaning toward the window. — Amelia Mularz, Architectural Digest, 22 July 2026

Rhymes for key to

• accrue
• ado
• ainu
• aircrew
• airscrew
• anew
• askew
• baboo
• babu
• bamboo
• beaucoup
• bijou