key

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Although scientists don’t fully understand the factors that contributed to the species’ near-extinction, they believe unregulated hunting in the 20th century played a key role.

From Los Angeles Times

Imports of capital machinery—a key indicator of industrial expansion—dropped nearly 26% in the fiscal year 2025 compared with the previous year.

From The Wall Street Journal

There's an acknowledgment that the season has been disrupted by multiple injuries to key players.

From BBC

Injuries have been a key factor as the Lakers struggled for consistency this season.

From Barron's

The 10-year Treasury note—a key debt issued by the U.S. government—has seen its yield move up or down only as much as 0.39 percentage points over the past six months.

From Barron's