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

Recent Examples on the Web

Maintaining anonymity is key to the work shaping social discourse. — Chad Radford, AJC.com, 7 Oct. 2026

Police say businesses in the area have no surveillance video to prove who put him there, but a note left on Theo's cage, police say, may be key to finding who did this to him. — Julia Avant, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026

Consistency in the clinic’s messaging around vaccination has been the key to raising coverage rates. — Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026

Linking markets across African countries will be key to diversification, moving up the value chain, and generating long-term economic transformation. — Jared Cohen, Foreign Affairs, 7 Oct. 2026

Rhymes for key to

• accrue
• ado
• ainu
• aircrew
• airscrew
• anew
• askew
• baboo
• babu
• bamboo
• beaucoup
• bijou