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key has 20 distinct synonyms spread across 9 of its 21 senses. Each sense below keeps its own list, because a synonym belongs to a meaning and not to a word: swapping one sense's substitute into another sense's sentence is how a thesaurus makes writing worse. WordNet records no antonym for it — antonymy is a relation between word forms rather than concepts, so it is deliberately sparse.
Counts are distinct word forms across every sense. A synonym that appears under three senses is counted once here and shown three times below, under each sense it belongs to.
metal device shaped in such a way that when it is inserted into the appropriate lock the lock's mechanism can be rotated
something crucial for explaining
“the key to development is economic integration”
pitch of the voice
“he spoke in a low key”
any of 24 major or minor diatonic scales that provide the tonal framework for a piece of music
a kilogram of a narcotic drug
“they were carrying two keys of heroin”
United States lawyer and poet who wrote a poem after witnessing the British attack on Baltimore during the War of 1812; the poem was later set to music and entitled `The Star-Spangled Banner' (1779-1843)
a list of answers to a test
“some students had stolen the key to the final exam”
a generic term for any device whose possession entitles the holder to a means of access
“a safe-deposit box usually requires two keys to open it”
mechanical device used to wind another device that is driven by a spring (as a clock)
the central building block at the top of an arch or vault
a lever (as in a keyboard) that actuates a mechanism when depressed
provide with a key
“We were keyed after the locks were changed in the building”
Synonyms, antonyms and the broader and narrower relations for key come from Princeton University’s WordNet. Full sources and licences.
vandalize a car by scratching the sides with a key
“His new Mercedes was keyed last night in the parking lot”
harmonize with or adjust to
“key one's actions to the voters' prevailing attitude”