keystroke

1 of 2

noun

key·​stroke ˈkē-ˌstrōk How to pronounce keystroke (audio)
: the act or an instance of depressing a key on a keyboard

keystroke

2 of 2

verb

keystroked; keystroking; keystrokes

Examples of keystroke in a Sentence

Noun He deleted all of my work with a single keystroke.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In the aftermath of the Mission scandal, LAPD leaders have been eyeing a potential solution: artificial intelligence, which can analyze vast troves of body camera footage with a few keystrokes. Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 18 Nov. 2023 With every other music media outlet perpetually acquiescing to the whims of the algorithm, Bandcamp has never had to waste a keystroke on Taylor Swift or Drake. Chris Richards, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2023 In this study, experimenters correctly identified keystrokes on a MacBook Pro through a nearby phone recording 95% of the time, and through a recorded Zoom call at a 93% rate. Paige Hagy, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2023 This popular sneaky technique is used by cybercriminals to secretly record the keystrokes of the target and capture login credentials, messages and emails. Kurt Knutsson, Fox News, 4 Sep. 2023 So the fact that the hackers chose just 100 or so machines on which to install their malware—capable of everything from running commands to recording keystrokes—suggests that CarderBee may have combed thousands of potential victims to specifically target those users, O’Brien argues. Andy Greenberg, WIRED, 22 Aug. 2023 The tests began with researchers first recording the keystrokes and using the sounds to train an algorithm to recognize and connect specific sounds to specific keystrokes. Christopher Hutton, Washington Examiner, 7 Aug. 2023 Today, arranging words into shapes is a matter of spacing and indenting text in a digital file with a keystroke or the click of a mouse. V.m. Braganza, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Aug. 2023 Finding clothes made to your exact specifications, or designing your own, could soon be accomplished in a few keystrokes. The Editors, ELLE, 24 July 2023
Verb
Bernhardt’s report points to keystroke logging technology and webcams that can tell when a person goes off task as examples of tech that can keep track of people even when working from home. Chase Difeliciantonio, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Nov. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'keystroke.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1867, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1966, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of keystroke was in 1867

Dictionary Entries Near keystroke

Cite this Entry

“Keystroke.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/keystroke. Accessed 9 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

keystroke

noun
key·​stroke
-ˌstrōk
: the act or an instance of pushing down a key on a keyboard

More from Merriam-Webster on keystroke

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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