skeleton key
noun
plural skeleton keys
: a key with a large part of the bit filed away to enable it to open low quality locks as a master key
called also passkey
Examples of skeleton key in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Today, Brown carries the ring of skeleton keys that unlock the doors of Oakley Grove house as the owner.
—
Krista Stevens, Longreads, 4 Dec. 2024
Mounk pointed to this decline in trust as a sort of skeleton key for understanding the Trump vibe shift.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024
Art and music and film and dance and so many other pieces of work where people just put their blood and guts into it, those things have been skeleton keys for me.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 19 Aug. 2024
Stem cells can divide and renew themselves over a long period of time and are kind of like a skeleton key.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 1 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for skeleton key
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Krista Stevens, Longreads, 4 Dec. 2024
Mounk pointed to this decline in trust as a sort of skeleton key for understanding the Trump vibe shift.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024
Art and music and film and dance and so many other pieces of work where people just put their blood and guts into it, those things have been skeleton keys for me.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 19 Aug. 2024
Stem cells can divide and renew themselves over a long period of time and are kind of like a skeleton key.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 1 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for skeleton key
Cite this Entry
“Skeleton key.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/skeleton%20key. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
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