1
as in main
coming before all others in importance
maintains that Sir Isaac Newton remains the key figure in physical science
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in crucial
of the greatest possible importance
first—and this is key—I wasn't even there that evening
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in gateway
something that allows someone to achieve a desired goal
a good education is the key to success
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in access
the means or right of entering or participating in
he had found the key to her heart
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to reconcile
to bring to a state free of conflicts, inconsistencies, or differences
her response was perfectly keyed to the situation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of key
Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
Choose Planters With Drainage—and Size Up When choosing containers for your city garden, experts emphasize one key design feature as the most important.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 20 Apr. 2026
Lily Carey, Baltimore Sun, 21 Apr. 2026
The beats are stiffly period-appropriate, repurposing Shawty Redd snare rolls, bouncy Zaytoven keys, and snap music low end without flourish.
—Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 21 Apr. 2026
Janelle Griffith, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
Charlotte replied with an 8-0 run keyed by Brandon Miller.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for key
Adjective
The Michigan Democratic Party announced its nominees for key races in the November 2026 election, including Attorney General and Secretary of State.
—Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
Choose Planters With Drainage—and Size Up When choosing containers for your city garden, experts emphasize one key design feature as the most important.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
According to the news release, the vehicle was found parked and unoccupied, with a key broken off in the driver’s door lock.
—Lily Carey, Baltimore Sun, 21 Apr. 2026
The beats are stiffly period-appropriate, repurposing Shawty Redd snare rolls, bouncy Zaytoven keys, and snap music low end without flourish.
—Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
Brian Hooker told officials that his wife, Lynette Hooker, fell off their eight-foot dinghy during a trip from Hope Town to Elbow Cay in the Abaco Islands after the couple left on the night of Saturday, April 4, taking the boat keys with her and causing the engine to shut off.
—Janelle Griffith, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
Charlotte replied with an 8-0 run keyed by Brandon Miller.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for key
Recent Examples of Synonyms for key
Adjective
-
Shuttle services have been arranged to transport journalists between the media center and a hotel in the city’s main shopping mall.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
But the leak appeared to get worse when the service module fired its main engine for the translunar injection burn on Day 2 of the flight, according to Amit Kshatriya, NASA’s associate administrator.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The comments come amid growing concerns that the threat of mines in the key waterway, as well as the standoff between the two navies, will leave the crucial trade route effectively blocked for some time.—
Sean Nevin,
NBC news,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The focus now is on the crucial first test flight of its third version of the Starship rocket, whose launch was already pushed back a month to May.—
Thomas Black,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The steward poured the wine, then went to the man’s table, who stood to receive our toast.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
But the price Crystal Palace demand may be too high for United, with chairman Steve Parish a hard person to sit across the table from for directors at buying clubs.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Atlanta serves as a major hub for domestic and international connections, while Vancouver provides a gateway for Canadian fans and those connecting from Asia and the Pacific.—
Taylor Haught,
Kansas City Star,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Bridge work The Thorn Creek Woods pedestrian bridge was once the gateway to nearly 3 miles of pathways through the 1,000-plus acres on Monee Road.—
Jerry Shnay,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.—
Kathryn Prociv,
NBC news,
23 Apr. 2026
-
This cemetery sits about a third of a mile from Cornell Orchards, giving the bees easy access to early spring blooms.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Partnerships rooted in friendship often struggle to reconcile personal loyalty with professional accountability.—
NIa Bowers,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
-
There are too many contradictions, too long a list of things that require confronting, too much gray area to reconcile.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Lemon was also the Trojans’ primary return man during his sophomore and junior seasons and was even used on a trick play against Oregon this season that resulted in a 24-yard touchdown pass to then-freshman Tanook Hines.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The Highway Trust Fund — the primary federal account dedicated to funding highways, bridges and transit — is going broke.—
Andrew Stasiowski,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The teamwork and professionalism shown by the officers today are a testament to their training in de-escalation, crisis intervention, and critical decision-making.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
21 Apr. 2026
-
But for Ternus, perhaps the most critical aspect of his new job will be pushing the company deeper into AI, where it's lagged many of its megacap peers.—
Jennifer Elias,
CNBC,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Key.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/key. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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