Antonyms for key up

Grammar : Verb

Spell : kee

Phonetic Transcription : ki

Definition of key up

Origin : "metal piece that works a lock," from Old English cæg "key," of unknown origin, with no certain cognates other than Old Frisian kei. Perhaps related to Middle Low German keie "lance, spear" on notion of "tool to cleave with," from Proto-Germanic *ki- "to cleaver, split" (cf. German Keil "wedge," Gothic us-kijans "come forth," said of seed sprouts, keinan "to germinate"). But Liberman writes, "The original meaning of *kaig-jo- was presumably '*pin with a twisted end.' Words with the root *kai- followed by a consonant meaning 'crooked, bent; twisted' are common only in the North Germanic languages." Modern pronunciation is a northern variant predominating from c.1700; earlier it was often spelled and pronounced kay.
Figurative sense of "that which serves to open or explain" was in Old English; meaning "that which holds together other parts" is from 1520s. As "answer to a test," it is from chess, short for key move, "first move in a solution to a set problem." Musical sense of "tone, note" is 15c., but modern sense of "scale" is 1580s, probably as a translation of Latin clavis or French clef (see clef; also cf. keynote). Extended c.1500 to "mechanism on a musical instrument." As a verb meaning "to scratch (a car's paint job) with a key" it is recorded by 1986.

As in incite : verb encourage, provoke
As in kindle : verb excite, incite
As in push : verb incite, urge
As in rouse : verb stimulate, excite
As in spur : verb incite, prompt
As in stimulate : verb excite, provoke
As in thrill : verb excite, stimulate
As in upset : verb bother, trouble
As in wake/waken : verb excite, stimulate
As in actuate : verb start a function or action, motivate
As in goad : verb egg on, incite

Example sentences :

After he'd got into the room he'd put the key up, wouldn't he?
Extract from : « Average Jones » by Samuel Hopkins Adams

When Steward placed a chair for him at the table and invited him into it, he began to key up.
Extract from : « Michael, Brother of Jerry » by Jack London

Lady Holme took the key up carefully and put it down on the sofa.
Extract from : « The Woman With The Fan » by Robert Hichens

There are some situations so crazily extravagant that they key up the spirit to meet them.
Extract from : « Greenmantle » by John Buchan

The effect of that always is to awaken to new alertness and vigor every mental power, as well as to key up every moral resolve.
Extract from : « Quiet Talks about Jesus » by S. D. Gordon

We then key up the brasses in their places in the rod and fasten a centre piece in the brasses at each end of the rod.
Extract from : « Modern Machine-Shop Practice, Volumes I and II » by Joshua Rose

The sound recalled her to her senses, and she picked the key up hastily.
Extract from : « Edmund Dulac's Picture-Book for the French Red Cross » by Edmund Dulac

Neither of us will give his key up to anyone but the accredited test pilot.
Extract from : « A Spaceship Named McGuire » by Gordon Randall Garrett

"Mrs. Packard took the key up to her room," I explained, thinking that some sort of explanation was in order.
Extract from : « The Mayor's Wife » by Anna Katherine Green

Lock the door, Carey, and hang the key up in plain sight by the window there.
Extract from : « The Indifference of Juliet » by Grace S. Richmond

Synonyms for key up

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019