How to use key in a sentence
40 example sentences · noun, adjective, verb
Key means an object designed to open and close a lock or to activate or deactivate something, especially a length of metal inserted into a narrow opening on the lock to which it is matched (keyed). Example: “This key is to the backdoor.”
Examples of key by meaning
nounAn object designed to open and close a lock or to activate or deactivate something, especially a length of metal...
- This key is to the backdoor.
- insert the key into the lock (formal); put the key in the lock (informal)
- apartment key; room key; spare key
nounA card or fob that electronically signals a lock to open.
- My hotel room key is a card.
nounA password restricting access to an IRC channel.
- if you know someone who is in the channel, you can query them and ask for the key.2000, Robert Erdec, “Re: Help; mIRC32; unable to resolve server arnes.si”, in alt.irc.mirc (Usenet)
nounA key bump (A portion of a recreational drug in powdered form that is snorted from a key or similar small object.).
- I saw him snort a key at the party.
nounAny of various tools comparable to a wrench (spanner) or driver, which have a specialized end that matches a fixture...
- The exterminator will bring a key thingy that can open the bait boxes.
- Safe-deposit boxes open with a special key.
nounA crucial step or requirement.
- Persistence is the key to solving this problem.
- The key to winning that game is your strategy at the beginning.
- The PEOPLE'S DAILY today front pages a news item in column one in the experience of Yuhsi County in Yunnan which "mastered the law of agricultural field management, and found the key to increasing autumn grain production."1960 August 29 [1960 August 26], “Higher Autum Grain Yield is Possible”, in Daily Report: Foreign Radio Broadcasts, number 168, Foreign...
nounAn idea, theory or observation that explains, justifies or renders (something) comprehensible.
- The key to his proposal is that he thinks this company is dying and needs radical change.
nounA deciding factor.
- Her charm is the key to her success.
More sentences with key
- I had my keys just a minute ago, so they must be about somewhere.From the entry about
- How to measure marketing? Use these key metrics for measuring marketing effectiveness.From the entry metric
- In computing, pi characters may be entered with special key combinations.From the entry pi
- Pressing a piano key causes the action of the hammer on the string.From the entry action
- I forgot my keys in and so we had to force (open) the door.From the entry force
- The key to a good baked Alaska is the meringue topping.From the entry meringue
- I would have been here on time, but a certain someone lost the car keys!From the entry certain
- If you want to go home, I have the car keys.From the entry if
- The salt factory is a key connecting element in the seawater infrastructure.From the entry salt
- I had to deposit two months' rent into my landlord's account before he gave me the keys.From the entry deposit
- I searched the garden for the keys and found them in the vegetable patch.From the entry search
- Just put in the key for the ignition and turn it.From the entry put in
- You've got a key! Why have you been holding out on me?From the entry hold out
- The key signatures of D major and b minor both have two sharps.From the entry key signature
- I poked about in the rubble, trying to find my lost keys.From the entry poke
- I don't know where I left my keys. They could be anywhere.From the entry anywhere
- The software's registration key is platform agnostic and will work on both x86 and ARM processors.From the entry agnostic
- She began to root around in her bag for the keys.From the entry root around
- We puzzled over the curious-shaped lock, but were unable to discover how the key should be inserted.From the entry puzzle
- This relation uses the customer's social security number as a key.From the entry relation
- As I turned the key, the lock gave a click and the door opened.From the entry click
- The composition modulates upwards through the cycle of fifths, eventually returning to the original key.From the entry cycle of fifths
- They had lost the key, and the lock stymied the first three locksmiths they called.From the entry stymie
- I pantomimed steering a car; he understood, and tossed the keys to me.From the entry pantomime
- Darn it, my keys fell through the gap and into the elevator shaft.From the entry shaft
- If you want to get in, you'll need the gate code and a key.From the entry get in
- I must have done quite a thinko, but I don't remember leaving my keys in the refrigerator.From the entry thinko
Meaning of key
- noun An object designed to open and close a lock or to activate or deactivate something, especially a length of metal inserted into a narrow opening on the lock to which it is matched (keyed).
- noun A card or fob that electronically signals a lock to open.
- noun A piece of information (e.g., a password or passphrase) used to encode or decode a message or messages.
Questions about key in a sentence
- How do you use key in a sentence?
- Key is used as a noun, adjective and verb. For example: “This key is to the backdoor.”
- What is a short sentence with key?
- “This key is to the backdoor.”
- What does key mean?
- Key means an object designed to open and close a lock or to activate or deactivate something, especially a length of metal inserted into a narrow opening on the lock to which it is matched (keyed).
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: key (page history and authors) and the entries each sentence comes from. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws chose the sentences, left out offensive ones and quotations older than 1900, and marked the word in each. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this page: “How to use key in a sentence.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/sentences/key. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.