key to

verb

keyed to; keying to; keys to
chiefly US
1
: to make (something) suitable for (a particular use or type of person)
I try to key my lectures to my audience.
—often used as (be) keyed to
The educational program is keyed to the needs of working women.
2
: to change (something) in a way that is closely related to (something else)
—usually used as (be) keyed to
The amount of money they receive is keyed to the rate of inflation.

Examples of key to in a Sentence

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That definition would be key to determining how the players are being harmed by being declared ineligible. — Chantz Martin Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026 Ultron finally finds the key to set Vision in motion by re-evoking the Ship of Theseus. — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026 By 2024, RealPage controlled roughly 80 percent of the real estate revenue management market for multifamily dwellings and held the keys to datasets from approximately sixteen million rental units nationwide. — Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026 Since Africa is also a large part of its storytelling, N LITE says, tapping into fandom culture among African anime and animation fans is key to its strategy. — Kimberly Nordyke, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for key to

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Cite this Entry

“Key to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/key%20to. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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