ENGLISH
REFERENCE

key in

phr. v..
B1 Intermediate Oxford General-service

phr. v.. to type information into a computer or device using a keyboard.

phr. v.. to enter data or text into an electronic system via a keyboard; transitive phrasal verb with the object following the particle directly.


SIMPLE

Please key in your password to access the account.

CONTEXTUAL

The customer service agent asked the user to key in their order number for verification.

COMPLEX

As the deadline approached, the programmer worked tirelessly to key in the final lines of code before the system went live.

Particles
in
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
key + in + object
Usage

takes a direct object — the information being entered into the device.

Teaching tip

compare with 'type in' (near-synonym) but note 'key in' specifically implies keyboard input, while 'type' can sometimes mean handwriting.

Pitfall

Key into the password.Key in the password.'into' is incorrect here; the particle 'in' directly precedes the object without prepositions.

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