Phrasal verb
key on
Definition
phrasal verb. to focus attention on something, often in a way that is important or critical.
phrasal verb. to concentrate attention on; transitive phrasal verb, commonly used in academic or technical contexts to emphasize the importance of a particular aspect.
Examples
“The teacher keyed on the main ideas of the chapter.”
“During the meeting, the manager keyed on the project's budget issues.”
“The researcher keyed on the anomalies in the data, leading to a breakthrough in the study.”
Examples
simple
“The teacher keyed on the main ideas of the chapter.”
contextual
“During the meeting, the manager keyed on the project's budget issues.”
complex
“The researcher keyed on the anomalies in the data, leading to a breakthrough in the study.”
Usage
used with a noun indicating the focus; more formal than 'focus on'.
Teaching tip
contrast with 'focus on' — 'key on' is more formal and often used in academic writing to highlight critical aspects.
Pitfall
The report keyed on the problem, but the solution was unclear.
The report focused on the problem, but the solution was unclear.
'key on' is less common in general writing; 'focus on' is more widely understood and appropriate in most contexts.
Phrasal verb
Particles
on
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
key + on + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/key-on