shortcut

noun short·cut \ ˈshȯrt-ˌkət also -ˈkət \

Updated on: 16 Apr 2018

Definition of shortcut

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

— called also hot key

See shortcut defined for English-language learners

See shortcut defined for kids

Examples of shortcut in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of shortcut from the Web

That release sparked a major wave of AI development, giving start-ups a shortcut to calculating advanced mathematics and creating learning machines.

— drew harwell, chicagotribune.com, "'Cow Fitbits' and artificial intelligence are coming to the dairy farm, but some farmers aren't impressed," 5 Apr. 2018
For Russia, the Northern Sea Route is most importantly a slowly thawing shortcut for its Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) exports to East Asia, especially China.

— david hambling, Popular Mechanics, "Does the U.S. Stand a Chance Against Russia's Icebreakers?," 4 Apr. 2018
What if Robert Kennedy had decided not to take a shortcut through the kitchen at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, where an assassin was waiting for him on the night he was killed?

— john blake, CNN, "The question that haunts Martin Luther King's last day in Memphis," 3 Apr. 2018
The reality is a bit more complicated, but imagining the particle in two places at once is a useful shortcut to understanding what’s going on here.

— rafi letzter, Scientific American, "Quantum Physicists Double the “Bandwidth” of the Universe," 13 Mar. 2018
The English merchants who financed his journey were seeking a shortcut to Asia.

— Anchorage Daily News, "Think you know Arctic expedition history? Try this book.," 3 Mar. 2018
What's your favorite shortcut to boost your beauty look?

— tynan sinks, Allure, "This Is My Trick to Making Any Powder Eye Shadow Look Super Pigmented," 22 Feb. 2018
There’s no shortcut for getting quantity and quality of performance from your rotation.

— john fay, Cincinnati.com, "Cincinnati Reds season rests on young rotation; Can Castillo, Mahle, Romano, Garrett come through?," 28 Mar. 2018
Facebook has added a privacy shortcut that will allow users to add extra levels of security to their accounts and bring it under one menu instead of multiple screens, Bloomberg reported.

— natalie dreier, ajc, "Facebook tweaks security settings after privacy fallout," 28 Mar. 2018

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

First Known Use of shortcut

1637

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

shortcut

verb

Definition of shortcut

shortcut; shortcutting

transitive verb

: to shorten (a route, a procedure, etc.) by use of a shortcut; also : circumvent

intransitive verb

: to take or use a shortcut

Examples of shortcut in a Sentence

are you sure there's no way to shortcut the entrance requirements?

Recent Examples of shortcut from the Web

To push revenues to 2008 levels, Zinke would have to do more than sell leases and help companies shortcut environmental regs.

— elliott d. woods, Outside Online, "Zinke's Plan to Fund the Park Service Is Pure Fantasy," 24 Mar. 2018
Lidia Bastianich knows how to shortcut even the simplest of recipes.

— jill wendholt silva, charlotteobserver, "Want to celebrate with style? Celebrate like an Italian – Lidia Bastianich | Charlotte Observer," 22 Dec. 2017
Technically, pesto should be pounded or processed to a paste, but sometimes shortcuts pay off.

— claire saffitz, Bon Appetit, "Pasta with Chopped Pesto," 19 Aug. 2017
These kinds of horizontal gene transfers, where genes shortcut the usual passage from parent to offspring and instead move directly between individuals, are rare in animals, but common among bacteria.

— ed yong, The Atlantic, "How Mushrooms Became Magic," 24 Aug. 2017

First Known Use of shortcut

1915

in the meaning defined at transitive sense

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

SHORTCUT Defined for English Language Learners

shortcut

noun

Definition of shortcut for English Language Learners

: a shorter, quicker, or easier way to get to a place
: a quicker or easier way to do something

SHORTCUT Defined for Kids

shortcut

noun short·cut \ ˈshȯrt-ˌkət \

Definition of shortcut for Students

: a shorter, quicker, or easier way

Learn More about shortcut

See words that rhyme with shortcut Spanish Central: Translation of shortcut Nglish: Translation of shortcut for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of shortcut for Arabic speakers

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shortcut

Definition of shortcut

Examples of shortcut in a Sentence

Recent Examples of shortcut from the Web

First Known Use of shortcut

shortcut

Definition of shortcut

Examples of shortcut in a Sentence

Recent Examples of shortcut from the Web

First Known Use of shortcut

SHORTCUT Defined for English Language Learners

shortcut

Definition of shortcut for English Language Learners

SHORTCUT Defined for Kids

shortcut

Definition of shortcut for Students

Learn More about shortcut

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