shortcut

American  

[shawrt-kuht] / ˈʃɔrtˌkʌt /

noun

• shortcuts
  plural

1. a shorter or quicker way.

2. a method, procedure, policy, etc., that reduces the time or energy needed to accomplish something.

3. Computers.

   1. a link to a software application, file, or website, usually represented as a graphical icon that can be clicked on to quickly access or open it.

      You can create a desktop shortcut to a web page you've visited.

   2. Also called keyboard shortcut.  hotkey.

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adjective

1. constituting or providing a shorter or quicker way.

   shortcut methods.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• shortcutting
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• shortcuts
  plural

Etymology

Origin of shortcut

First recorded in 1560–70; short + cut

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shortcut shortcuts

If the teen tries a shortcut, “responsible homework reminders” will redirect teens.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

A Tesla-SpaceX merger would give Musk a shortcut to his $1 trillion payday.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026

Anthony travelled back across London, arrived at East Finchley, and turned into the narrow footpath beside the railway line - a shortcut towards home.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

When students understand the value of the process, they’re less likely to look for an easy shortcut like AI.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

He turned off the sidewalk to take a shortcut over the front lawn to the steps into the school.

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro

Even as the pace has sharply accelerated, Tori Shivanandan, President and COO of Radiant Nuclear, does not want regulatory shortcuts.

From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026

It treats historical analogies not as rhetorical shortcuts but as evidentiary claims that must withstand scrutiny.

From Slate ● Jun. 26, 2026

So instead of starting from scratch, I opted for something that leaned into the shortcuts, unapologetically.

From Salon ● Jun. 14, 2026

He added that diets involving “maxxing” are often shortcuts made in place of more balanced habits.

From MarketWatch ● May 10, 2026

The pilots became so adept with the tap code that they started inventing shortcuts, a kind of low-tech texting.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin