1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

key (up)

verb

Definition of key (up)next
as in to set off

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for key (up)
  1. set off
  2. motivate
  3. induce
  4. pump up
  5. motive
  6. inspire
  7. energize
  8. activate
Verb
  • In order to set off a bioweapon, for example, AI models (without people) would somehow have to access sensitive and highly restricted material, enter incredibly sophisticated laboratories, operate this equipment, and determine mechanisms of release.
    — Rumman Chowdhury, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Melius gave it a solid try and had a pretty strong plan to make back his money, winning approval from the Town of Huntington to set off five acres and build 95 condos there, according to a listing from Adam Modlin’s team.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of set off
Verb
  • Pundits thought we were still motivated by the radical politics of the Chicano movement, as previous generations were.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The memory both haunts and motivates Pugh’s Cathy throughout the series.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of motivate
Verb
  • Inserra also paid Schlenhardt a compliment that was gasp-inducing in itself.
    — Mike McGraw, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2026
  • While movies may show an inheritance where someone goes from rags to riches, in reality, most folks end up with physical items rather than a luxury-inducing windfall.
    — Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of induce
Verb
  • Swift, who was wearing a Chiefs tank top at Sunday night’s game, didn’t need to be well-versed in football to get pumped up when Kelce scored a touchdown.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
  • For its part, Florida hoped for a Sinclair victory to pump up its own moribund economy.
    — Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of pump up
Verb
  • Neither man has offered an explanation or motive behind the violent stop.
    — Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Police still have not provided information on a suspect or motive in the shooting as their investigation continues.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of motive
Verb
  • Contributor Juliet Kinsman shares stories that inspire impact as a speaker, writer, and educator.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Looking closer, the collection features the Pista style is a low-profile driver sneaker inspired by classic motorsport footwear, while the Court III is an everyday sneaker rooted in the legacy of classic German army trainers.
    — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of inspire
Verb
  • Just notice which people leave you energized and which connections feel like another item on the calendar.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The visits tend to energize the base ahead of the midterms and may also broaden congressional candidates’ appeal.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of energize
Verb
  • Gonzalez Reyes then returned to his vehicle and drove away with its police-style siren activated, investigators said.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Nicotine activates reward pathways in the brain, which can create a temporary sense of pleasure and well-being.
    — Hasmeena Kathuria, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of activate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

keys (up)
key (up)
khan
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Key (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/key%20%28up%29. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 25
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All