shortcut

noun

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

beat, bypass, circumvent, dodge, get around, sidestep, skirt

Antonyms: Verb

comply (with), follow, keep, obey, observe

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

The shortcuts to a super-speedy taco night: one baking sheet and a hot broiler. — The Healthyish Team, Bon Appetit, "Healthy 4th of July Recipes to Eat Outdoors (With Lots of SPF On)," 13 June 2018 There’s no shortcut here: Look up your router’s brand, model and serial numbers, figure out its default password, log onto its internal control software, and download a patch from the company’s website. — Hiawatha Bray, BostonGlobe.com, "FBI warns consumers about malware aimed at Internet routers," 24 May 2018 The shortcut to solving the toughest industrial-policy issues is revisiting solutions explored in past discussions. — Jeff Moon, WSJ, "Reading the Tea Leaves on Trade With China," 4 Dec. 2018 But too often those shortcuts just aren’t very useful. — Edward C. Baig, USA TODAY, "Apple's next iPhone and iOS 12: Here's what Apple should change," 1 June 2018 And on top of all that, there are some new keyboard shortcuts: Ctrl-Shift-N to open a new Notepad window from within Notepad, Ctrl-Shift-S to Save As..., and Ctrl-W to close the current window. — Peter Bright, Ars Technica, "Latest Windows Insider build makes a major upgrade to, uh… Notepad," 10 Dec. 2018 Along with the new filter, Instagram added Halloween emoji shortcuts. — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "Instagram Just Dropped A New Super Scary Filter and You Need To Try It," 26 Oct. 2018 What immediately impressed me about the recipe is the use of lots of fresh herbs, a shortcut many kitchens take by grabbing for jars instead. — Claire Perez, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Bravo's ziti chicken dish gets new name, same great taste," 15 June 2018 In 1920s Chicago, forensic pathologists were overworked and taking shortcuts. — Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, "The Coroner Crisis," 28 Sep. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Rest assured, these aren’t actual apps, but instead shortcuts to Nokia’s web client. — Michael Zelenko, The Verge, "There’s no perfect minimalist phone — yet," 3 May 2018 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

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.