shortcut

noun

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short·cut | \ ˈshȯrt-ˌkət

also -ˈkət \

Definition of shortcut

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

shortcut

verb

shortcut; shortcutting

Definition of shortcut (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

: to take or use a shortcut

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About shortcut

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Synonyms & Antonyms for shortcut

Synonyms: Verb

Antonyms: Verb

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: Noun In his recipe for shortcut vegetarian cassoulet, contributor Christian Reynosa cuts 2-inch long fingers of eggplant, sort of a play on the sausages that would typically be in the dish. — Alex Beggs, Bon Appétit, 23 Aug. 2021 For most of its history, the Food and Drug Administration’s shortcut pathway for approving certain medicines was hardly contentious among anyone but the most diehard agency nerds; for years, only a handful of drug makers even used it. — Nicholas Florko, STAT, 12 Aug. 2021 Create a anytime of day that features these shortcut buns. — Erin Mayer, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Aug. 2021 While some Warriors fans would prefer the superstar shortcut route in team-building, the organic way has its proponents. — Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 July 2021 Was Pfizer’s emergency use authorization a shortcut? — Julie Washington, cleveland, 23 Aug. 2021 If a stay-at-home mom feels worthless and unappreciated, money, in our culture, is an effective shortcut to self-worth. — Sara Petersen, refinery29.com, 29 June 2021 Drinking, as Edward Slingerland notes, is merely a convenient shortcut to that end. — Kate Julian, The Atlantic, 1 June 2021 When your dream kitchen is out of reach, stick-on tiles are a frugal shortcut to a pretty backsplash. — Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 May 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Public health officials believe vaccination progress in Minnesota shortcut this spring's pandemic wave — despite a more infectious B.1.1.7 variant causing three-fourths of the state's new cases. — Jeremy Olson, Star Tribune, 25 May 2021 The way prosthetics work now, people can shortcut around a lack of touch by seeing whether stuff is being gripped by the robotic fingers, but eyeballing is less helpful when the object is slippery, moving, or just out of sight. — Max G. Levy, Wired, 20 May 2021 From time to time, scammers — some savvy, others bumbling amateurs — try to shortcut the path to riches. — Tim Evans, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Nov. 2020 The experimental drugs shortcut that process by giving concentrated versions of specific ones that worked best against the coronavirus in lab and animal tests. — Arkansas Online, 13 Aug. 2020 The experimental drugs shortcut that process by giving concentrated versions of specific ones that worked best against the coronavirus in lab and animal tests. — Arkansas Online, 13 Aug. 2020 The experimental drugs shortcut that process by giving concentrated versions of specific ones that worked best against the coronavirus in lab and animal tests. — Arkansas Online, 13 Aug. 2020 The experimental drugs shortcut that process by giving concentrated versions of specific ones that worked best against the coronavirus in lab and animal tests. — Arkansas Online, 13 Aug. 2020 The experimental drugs shortcut that process by giving concentrated versions of specific ones that worked best against the coronavirus in lab and animal tests. — Arkansas Online, 13 Aug. 2020

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.