as in to set off
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Recent Examples of Synonyms for key (up)
Verb
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The hairstylist who accidentally set off the sprinklers called Fishers Fire Department.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025 -
Russia’s last nuclear test was in 1990 and the US last set off a nuclear device in 1992.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Widespread expectations that women will prioritize housework and childcare also diminish young women's educational prospects, motivating them to leave rural areas.—
Anthony Kuhn,
NPR,
3 Nov. 2025
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They are motivated by emotions such as desire, curiosity, and frustration.—
James Somers,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The 2025 postseason, which ended when the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays in the 11th inning of the seventh game of an ulcer-inducing World Series, stands with any in baseball history.—
Steve Rushin,
The Atlantic,
2 Nov. 2025
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This results in a predictably dread-inducing sequence in which Teddy rushes to his mother's long-term care facility and feeds antifreeze into her IV line, killing her.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Springsteen was reportedly a frequent visitor on the set of Deliver Me From Nowhere — undoubtedly pumping up the extras, and presumably stressing out the actors.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
27 Oct. 2025
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All of Canada is going to be so pumped up.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The complaint did not cite evidence of direct involvement or motive connected to the IDS, but the discovery process, if reached, may unearth new information.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
30 Oct. 2025
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The study, by the libertarian think tank Cato Institute, found that terrorists motived by extreme slices of right-leaning ideology killed six times more people than those on the other side of the political spectrum between 1975 and Sept. 10, 2025.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Its success inspired a wave of canal building in other states, although the economic benefit of these other canals is dubious in retrospect.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
26 Oct. 2025
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The aftermath of that crash inspired her branch of the Brown family tree to reshape the Louisville medical scene.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The outcome will reverberate throughout Europe and could energize other centrist parties looking to fend off the populist far right.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
30 Oct. 2025
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The standard answer was that Mamdani won the Democratic primary by energizing young voters, leaving Democrats with no option but to endorse their party’s nominee.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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National Guard troops have been staging at Portland training bases for weeks while the legal case plays out, having been activated to protect federal officials and an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility that has been the focal point of daily protests since June.—
Danya Gainor,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
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Ensure your vehicle is visible to others by using low-beam headlights, which also activate your taillights.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
2 Nov. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Key (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/key%20%28up%29. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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