key to
phrasal 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 toThe 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
The main key to success with this cake is timing.
—
Katherine Polcari, Southern Living, 28 Nov. 2025
Earlier this month marked a tense turn in the conflict as NATO allies accused Russia of carrying out sabotage against Poland, causing an explosion along a rail line that was key to supplying Ukraine’s forces from the Polish capital of Warsaw to Lublin, a city just next to the border with Ukraine.
—Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025
The key to success is whether AI can preserve the emotional nuance of discovery – the spark of seeing something new and feeling understood – versus reducing inspiration to a set of predictions.
—Cecile Van Steenberge, Fortune, 28 Nov. 2025
These areas are key to making robots really useful.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for key to
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Katherine Polcari, Southern Living, 28 Nov. 2025
Earlier this month marked a tense turn in the conflict as NATO allies accused Russia of carrying out sabotage against Poland, causing an explosion along a rail line that was key to supplying Ukraine’s forces from the Polish capital of Warsaw to Lublin, a city just next to the border with Ukraine.
—Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025
The key to success is whether AI can preserve the emotional nuance of discovery – the spark of seeing something new and feeling understood – versus reducing inspiration to a set of predictions.
—Cecile Van Steenberge, Fortune, 28 Nov. 2025
These areas are key to making robots really useful.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for key to
Cite this Entry
“Key to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/key%20to. Accessed 1 Dec. 2025.
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