skeleton key
noun
plural skeleton keys
: a key with a large part of the bit filed away to enable it to open low quality locks as a master key
called also passkey
Examples of skeleton key in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Madrid had been knocking on the door with some gusto for a while, but Alexander-Arnold turned his right foot into a combination of a battering ram and a skeleton key to set up Kylian Mbappe for the goal that teed up the second leg perfectly.
—
Nick Miller, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
The right setting acts as a skeleton key.
—Kevin Sintumuang, Outside, 10 Mar. 2026
Evans, a surefire Hall of Famer, is the skeleton key that can unlock the whole scheme.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2026
That’s what makes a skeleton key truly magical.
—Gail Mitchell, Billboard, 30 Jan. 2026
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Nick Miller, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
The right setting acts as a skeleton key.
—Kevin Sintumuang, Outside, 10 Mar. 2026
Evans, a surefire Hall of Famer, is the skeleton key that can unlock the whole scheme.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2026
That’s what makes a skeleton key truly magical.
—Gail Mitchell, Billboard, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for skeleton key
Cite this Entry
“Skeleton key.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/skeleton%20key. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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