short·cut
ˈshȯrt-ˌkət 
also -ˈkət
1
: a route more direct than the one ordinarily taken
2
: a method or means of doing something more directly and quickly than and often not so thoroughly as by ordinary procedure
a shortcut to success
3
: a key or combination of keys on a computer keyboard programmed to perform a specific function when pressed
You can open any item by clicking it or by assigning it a keyboard shortcut.—
Christopher Breen
Christopher Breencalled also hot key
shortcut; shortcutting
: to shorten (a route, a procedure, etc.) by use of a shortcut
also
: circumvent
: to take or use a shortcut
Examples of shortcut in a Sentence
Noun
Wait, I know a shortcut. Turn left here.
We took a shortcut home.
Let's take the shortcut through the woods.
I used a shortcut to calculate the total weight.
There are no shortcuts to learning another language.
Mistakes were made because too many shortcuts were taken.
Verb
are you sure there's no way to shortcut the entrance requirements?
Recent Examples on the Web
Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
The family insists on preserving the adobe walls and wooden beams, resisting modern shortcuts to maintain authenticity.
—Ashley Vega, People.com, 22 May 2025
Mark Littler, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
Once dismissed as a streaky shortcut to summer, self-tan has emerged from the shadows of the beauty aisle to become one of skincare’s most dynamic and strategic categories.
—Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shortcut
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Noun
Mental shortcuts can snap you out of these patterns in minutes.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
The family insists on preserving the adobe walls and wooden beams, resisting modern shortcuts to maintain authenticity.
—Ashley Vega, People.com, 22 May 2025
Verb
Unfortunately this shortcut to producing amazing spirits has a downside; the cost is high in terms of evaporation, which can exceed 10% per year.
—Mark Littler, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
Once dismissed as a streaky shortcut to summer, self-tan has emerged from the shadows of the beauty aisle to become one of skincare’s most dynamic and strategic categories.
—Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shortcut
Cite this Entry
“Shortcut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shortcut. Accessed 8 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shortcut
1 of 2 noun
short·cut
ˈshȯrt-ˌkət
-ˈkət
: a shorter, quicker, or easier way
a shortcut through the woods
a shortcut to fame
shortcut
2 of 2 verb
shortcut; shortcutting
: to take or use a shortcut
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