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
Synonyms
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 WebSam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
This is just one of many stories that begin and end in the exact same way, and the sheer power of TikTok is becoming more and more alluring to small artists looking for a shortcut to success.
—Howard Murphy, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2024
But there are limits to innovation in forestry; there are no simple shortcuts or cost-erasing technologies.
—Lydia Depillis, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024
Photo Studio includes hundreds of shortcut keys for every possible function—B for brush, T for text tool, C for crop, and so on, with many multi-key shortcuts for less common actions.
—PCMAG, 26 Mar. 2024
The shortcut is available for devices running on iOS 12 or later.
—Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 3 Mar. 2024
The shortcut version was lighter, brighter and more fragrant.
—Melissa Clark, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2024
Get The Recipe 03 of 19 Chicken Alfredo Lasagna
This scrumptious Alfredo lasagna recipe is a breeze to whip together thanks to a few shortcuts.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 19 Mar. 2024
Yet major events like the US presidential election seem like a real opportunity to prove whether AI chatbots are actually a useful shortcut to legitimate information.
—Wes Davis, The Verge, 19 Mar. 2024
Riley Robinson, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Feb. 2024
Today, Lover Lane serves the town as a regular road and shortcut from Furnace Hill Road to County Road F.
City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee County
In Milwaukee, Lovers Lane is split into two parts of a 40-mile highway, connected by Mayfair Road and 108th Street.
—Eva Wen, Journal Sentinel, 14 Feb. 2024
Diverting around Africa can take as much as 25% longer than using the Suez Canal shortcut between Asia and Europe, adding to costs that may ultimately be passed on to consumers.
—Christian Wienberg, Fortune, 30 Dec. 2023
And what better shortcut than the oh-so-convenient power of a set?
—Annie Blackman, Allure, 5 Nov. 2023
YouTube shortcuts: On your computer, tap keys 0 through 9 to skip to a specific percentage of the video.
—Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 18 Aug. 2023
The Quick Panel—which houses shortcuts for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and more—now features brightness settings by default.
—Iyaz Akhtar, PCMAG, 10 Aug. 2023
Take the stress out of dinner with saucy skillet recipes, quick-prep pastas, shortcut salads and soups, and more easy meal ideas. 01 Queso Fundido Torta View Recipe Mexican dinner recipes in less than seven ingredients?
—Kristy Alpert, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 June 2023
Create custom macros and shortcuts to streamline your gameplay and gain a competitive edge.
—Stack Commerce, Popular Science, 7 June 2023
Noun
The seasoned ones know all the shortcuts to get around the course and are particularly adept at sweet-talking patrons to move over just a smidge.
—Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
This is just one of many stories that begin and end in the exact same way, and the sheer power of TikTok is becoming more and more alluring to small artists looking for a shortcut to success.
—Howard Murphy, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2024
But there are limits to innovation in forestry; there are no simple shortcuts or cost-erasing technologies.
—Lydia Depillis, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024
Photo Studio includes hundreds of shortcut keys for every possible function—B for brush, T for text tool, C for crop, and so on, with many multi-key shortcuts for less common actions.
—PCMAG, 26 Mar. 2024
The shortcut is available for devices running on iOS 12 or later.
—Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 3 Mar. 2024
The shortcut version was lighter, brighter and more fragrant.
—Melissa Clark, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Mar. 2024
Get The Recipe 03 of 19 Chicken Alfredo Lasagna
This scrumptious Alfredo lasagna recipe is a breeze to whip together thanks to a few shortcuts.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 19 Mar. 2024
Yet major events like the US presidential election seem like a real opportunity to prove whether AI chatbots are actually a useful shortcut to legitimate information.
—Wes Davis, The Verge, 19 Mar. 2024
Verb
And the third is that the death penalty shortcuts or circumvents the possibility of redemption.
—Riley Robinson, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Feb. 2024
Today, Lover Lane serves the town as a regular road and shortcut from Furnace Hill Road to County Road F.
City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee County
In Milwaukee, Lovers Lane is split into two parts of a 40-mile highway, connected by Mayfair Road and 108th Street.
—Eva Wen, Journal Sentinel, 14 Feb. 2024
Diverting around Africa can take as much as 25% longer than using the Suez Canal shortcut between Asia and Europe, adding to costs that may ultimately be passed on to consumers.
—Christian Wienberg, Fortune, 30 Dec. 2023
And what better shortcut than the oh-so-convenient power of a set?
—Annie Blackman, Allure, 5 Nov. 2023
YouTube shortcuts: On your computer, tap keys 0 through 9 to skip to a specific percentage of the video.
—Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 18 Aug. 2023
The Quick Panel—which houses shortcuts for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and more—now features brightness settings by default.
—Iyaz Akhtar, PCMAG, 10 Aug. 2023
Take the stress out of dinner with saucy skillet recipes, quick-prep pastas, shortcut salads and soups, and more easy meal ideas. 01 Queso Fundido Torta View Recipe Mexican dinner recipes in less than seven ingredients?
—Kristy Alpert, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 June 2023
Create custom macros and shortcuts to streamline your gameplay and gain a competitive edge.
—Stack Commerce, Popular Science, 7 June 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shortcut.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near shortcut
Cite this Entry
“Shortcut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shortcut. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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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