How to Use key in a Sentence

key

1 of 3 noun

• All that was left were her keys.
  — Catherine Lacey, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
• A lot of the synths and the keys.
  — Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 19 May 2026
• Where’s the lock that fits this key?
  — Kansas City Star, 4 Sep. 2025
• Not sure of the length of the key?
  — Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 22 Oct. 2025
• The key is to deal with the source.
  — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 16 May 2026
• Lock him up and throw away the key.
  — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 16 Jan. 2026
• The key is to stick to ground truths.
  — Adam Frank, Big Think, 25 Sep. 2025
• But the key is to talk ahead of time.
  — ​wendy Wisner, Parents, 6 Apr. 2026
• Buium will be a key on the unit, too.
  — Michael Russo, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025
• And the key is to get the right mix right.
  — Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2026
• The key is to start small and build from there.
  — Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 1 Oct. 2025
• The key is to take it one step at a time.
  — The Editors, Outdoor Life, 30 Oct. 2025
• The key is to choose the right type of bread.
  — Laura Schober, Health, 29 Sep. 2025
• For a brand to be cool, these are the keys.
  — Sarah Scott, Parents, 16 Mar. 2026
• The key here is to find your niche and stick with it.
  — Matt Richardson, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
• The key is to plant the right bulbs at the right depths.
  — Miranda Crowell, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Oct. 2025
• But set plays all year have been kind of the key for us.
  — David Delgado, Oc Register, 15 Feb. 2026
• This led him to favor the keys.
  — Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2025
• The key is to keep the box shut with the side flaps taped down.
  — Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2023
• The keys clank on the glass table.
  — Davon Loeb, PEOPLE, 8 Nov. 2025
• The key is knowing where to use them.
  — Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 3 Mar. 2026
• The key is to choose a thick rug, and her go-to is wool.
  — Tessa Cooper, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2026
• The key is to play around with volume.
  — India Roby, InStyle, 16 Feb. 2026
• The key is that peptides are not drugs.
  — Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 28 Aug. 2025
• The key might be to get others on board.
  — Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 23 May 2026
• Spacing’s the key in all of this.
  — Josh Robbins, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
• Johnny on the spot, that is the key.
  — Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
• Most locks include two or three keys.
  — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
• The key for him will be staying in shape.
  — Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
• New research could hold the key.
  — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 30 Apr. 2026

key

2 of 3 adjective

• Their votes were key in getting the bill passed.
• Underline key words and phrases as you read.
• The key question is “Can we afford it?”.
• He's a key player in the organization.
• Traoré chipped in with a key late block.
  — C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 31 Jan. 2026
• Wacha will be a key part of that chase.
  — Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 29 Mar. 2026
• Here are some of the key findings.
  — Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 2 Oct. 2025
• She’s lost some key sense of herself.
  — Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
• Here are key takeaways from the event.
  — Todd Spangler, Variety, 9 Jan. 2026
• Here are three key things last‑minute filers should know.
  — Joshua Sidorowicz, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026
• The key fob won’t open/close the hatch or trigger the alarm.
  — Mark Phelan, Freep.com, 23 Oct. 2025
• Here are some of the key bills that passed, and others that didn’t.
  — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Sep. 2025
• That growth is focused on a few key areas.
  — Sarah Barnes-Humphrey, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
• The key purpose of the window is to help the coach.
  — Steve Madeley, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025
• The key difference is how much the stakes have risen.
  — Louis Staples, The Atlantic, 1 June 2026
• Sauces and dips remain key players as well.
  — Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 8 Feb. 2026
• Run a few key pages through the tool and look closely at the results.
  — Karan Sharma, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
• Caglianone has raw power and can still be a key force in the lineup.
  — Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 1 Sep. 2025
• The last key move or two can be the most challenging, though.
  — Michael Russo, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
• Write down key phone numbers on paper.
  — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Jan. 2026
• The Camp Nou is a key factor again here.
  — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 1 June 2026
• There are key pieces that could age out in the not-so-distant future.
  — Jesse Granger, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
• That’s the key change — and the source of frustration for users.
  — Ken Colburn, AZCentral.com, 8 Feb. 2026
• On a night where one of their best offensive weapons was off, that was key.
  — Marisa Ingemi, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
• Phillips sacked Rodgers, a key play in the fourth quarter of a close game.
  — Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
• My key takeaway here is listen to your body and don’t to wait to seek care.
  — Katia Hetter, CNN, 7 Feb. 2024
• Porter has scored some key endorsements.
  — Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026
• As much as things have changed for Barker, many key things have stayed the same.
  — Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 18 May 2026
• When spring camp began, he was thrown into the fire as a key part of the line.
  — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 22 June 2026
• Hall was a key member of the team that built the implosion bomb.
  — Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 3 Aug. 2023

key

3 of 3 verb

• The changes to the manuscript are being keyed by the typist.
• Geese will key on the point and follow it right up to the landing hole.
  — Phil Bourjaily, Field & Stream, 6 Mar. 2023
• Phipps was clutch and Williams protected the rim to key that win.
  — Richard Obert, The Arizona Republic, 27 Jan. 2024
• And with Waller out, the defense will likely key in on him.
  — Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2025
• Be sure to keep cars locked and keys out of reach of children, Fennell said.
  — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 18 Mar. 2026
• To bring up help at any point in time, press control, shift, and h keys together.
  — Robyn Weintraub, People.com, 15 Aug. 2025
• To bring up help at any point in time, press control, shift, and h keys together.
  — Patrick Merrell, People.com, 22 Aug. 2025
• To bring up help at any point in time, press control, shift, and h keys together.
  — Patrick Merrell, PEOPLE, 12 Sep. 2025
• To bring up help at any point in time, press control, shift, and h keys together.
  — Steph Spadaccini, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2025
• To bring up help at any point in time, press control, shift, and h keys together.
  — Patrick Merrell, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025
• To bring up help at any point in time, press control, shift, and h keys together.
  — Steph Spadaccini, People.com, 8 Aug. 2025
• The duo keyed a fourth quarter start that quickly bumped a six-point lead to 13.
  — Mike Cook, Twin Cities, 12 Sep. 2025
• As the bullet weight clinks and clacks along the bottom, bass will key in on your rig and follow it.
  — Derek Horner, Outdoor Life, 2 Apr. 2026
• Damian Moreno keys a defense that has 24 sacks.
  — John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Oct. 2025
• But defense keyed the Longhorns’ second-half surge, Mark said.
  — Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 24 Jan. 2026
• Brown keyed the next Celtics charge by earning a steady succession of trips to the foul line.
  — Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
• If any of five players are willing to take a game-winner, the defense can’t key on one of them.
  — Mike Finger, San Antonio Express-News, 27 Oct. 2021
• Weather is another variable that can key fish up at any time and in any season.
  — Shaye Baker, Field & Stream, 18 Apr. 2023
• Home runs by Anaiyah Popoalii and Ashannalee Titialii keyed the win.
  — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026
• Home runs by Anaiyah Popoalii and Ashannalee Titialii keyed the win.
  — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
• Days later, her car was found in College Park with her purse and keys inside.
  — Veronica Fulton, NBC news, 31 Oct. 2025
• Charlotte replied with an 8-0 run keyed by Brandon Miller.
  — Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 8 Apr. 2026
• Unselfish basketball keyed that spurt with three assists on the four baskets.
  — Jacob Steinberg, Baltimore Sun, 19 Jan. 2024
• Melton keyed the run for Golden State, scoring nine points during that stretch.
  — Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 10 Jan. 2026
• Kansas City will not be able to key on just one player as recent opponents have.
  — Kyle Foley, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2025
• His five first-half triples helped key the Warriors to a 76-67 halftime lead.
  — Sam Gordon, San Francisco Chronicle, 22 Feb. 2026
• Bosco, with six months’ experience on the job, entered the garage and keyed in on the soda machine.
  — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2023
• One factor quietly keying the surge has been the steady play of point guard Kris Dunn.
  — John Coon, USA TODAY, 18 Jan. 2024
• Acme Tools has extra-long hex keys in their 31-piece DeWalt set.
  — Christopher Murray May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2025
• Rodrigues’ ace and a block by Nevaeha Noguera and Lara keyed the comeback.
  — Tim Meehan Sd, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Nov. 2025