How to Use low-key in a Sentence

low-key

1 of 2 adjective
  • Your plans will be low-key and fun.
    — Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 12 Feb. 2026
  • Pull this out for low-key plans with your besties.
    — Kelsey Stiegman, Glamour, 27 Apr. 2026
  • We low-key think Genevieve might have nailed it.
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 3 June 2026
  • Maybe meet your low-key neighbors.
    — Clio Chang, Curbed, 17 May 2026
  • Our agenda, so far, is very low-key.
    — Ed Silverman, STAT, 29 May 2026
  • Elmer Söderblom looks like a low-key savvy add, too.
    — Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 6 May 2026
  • This trip was low-key, and our plans were fluid.
    — Vic O'Sullivan, Travel + Leisure, 4 Mar. 2026
  • This season calls for a breezy, low-key 'do.
    — Tessa Petak, InStyle, 10 June 2026
  • Here's how to get Wilde's low-key-meets-luxe look.
    — Tanya Sharma, PEOPLE, 27 June 2026
  • Instead, opt for low-key pieces that let the eye move through the space.
    — Shagun Khare, The Spruce, 7 June 2026
  • Styles shows the scope of a statement bag, adding easy flair to a low-key look.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2026
  • Rodgers’ event promises to be a more low-key affair.
    — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 13 Mar. 2026
  • But the prevailing mood on most days was low-key dread.
    — Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2026
  • These low-profile mules are on my radar for low-key summer days.
    — Tanya Sharma, InStyle, 18 June 2026
  • Okay for me, I low-key host my friends a lot throughout the week.
    — Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 Mar. 2026
  • Carti shot his parts in a car and on the street, keeping it very low-key.
    — Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024
  • Opt for a luxe, glitzy resort or book a stay in a low-key alpine village?
    — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 1 Nov. 2023
  • The St Barth’s surf scene is low-key but legit.
    — Molly Barstein, Vogue, 1 Feb. 2026
  • Alongside the large-scale events, the pope made time for low-key but moments.
    — Christopher Lamb, CNN Money, 13 June 2026
  • Ocean Cay feels low-key and nature-driven.
    — Erin Gifford, Southern Living, 14 Apr. 2026
  • Lopes Lara has a low-key aesthetic.
    — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 9 Apr. 2026
  • These really make any outfit so low-key chic.
    — Natalie Cantell, InStyle, 30 Jan. 2026
  • Harden is more low-key and rarely smiles in interviews.
    — Janis Carr, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026
  • That low-key vibe offers a healthy way to reset in the age of the endless scroll.
    — Sneha Dhandapani, CNN Money, 6 June 2026
  • She's been very low-key and been very supportive in me or for me in that regard.
    — Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
  • These days, singles are opting for something more low-key.
    — Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 2 Mar. 2026
  • Sci-fi isn't known for being low-key, chilled, or relaxing.
    — Grace Dean, Space.com, 2 May 2026
  • Last night’s look was Kim’s take on the more casual, low-key…for sure.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 7 May 2026
  • There are also a few bedtime tales in the mix that are more low-key to help kids wind down for the night.
    — Jeana Lee Tahnk, Parents, 4 Feb. 2024
  • For low-key kids Shake things up a bit with this riff on a game everyone knows well.
    — Leigh-Ann Jackson, wsj.com, 5 Dec. 2023

low-key

2 of 2 adverb
  • This one does seem to be much more low-key.
    — ABC News, 12 Oct. 2025
  • This timeless black version is stylish in a low-key type of way.
    — Samantha Olson, Seventeen, 28 Feb. 2023
  • The mood was low-key but jubilant.
    — Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 22 Oct. 2025
  • But the Rhode Island vibe is low-key.
    — Bryan West, USA Today, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Your parents might have been more low-key than your cousins’ parents.
    — Amy Dickinson, Anchorage Daily News, 25 Feb. 2023
  • Her visits were low-key, but she was deeply engaged in the process.
    — Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 21 Dec. 2025
  • Throw it over a dress and heels, or keep your look low-key with jeans and a simple tank top.
    — Mia Huelsbeck, People.com, 23 Aug. 2025
  • These pants are dressy enough to wear to the office, but low-key enough for weekend wear.
    — Genevieve Cepeda, Travel + Leisure, 22 Sep. 2025
  • Also, this is low-key the premise of the movie Simone?
    — Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Opt for a luxe, glitzy resort or book a stay in a low-key Alpine village?
    — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 7 Nov. 2025
  • The title track is a beautiful, low-key song.
    — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2025
  • There’s also a wine bar and fire pits, perfect for low-key evenings by the water.
    — Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 15 Aug. 2025
  • Host a low-key gathering—like a soup potluck, movie nights, or craft circles.
    — Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 11 Jan. 2026
  • Andra is a low-key adrenaline junkie.
    — Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
  • By his own admission, Siffre led a low-key life and career.
    — David Browne, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2025
  • The table also serves as a puzzle station on low-key game nights.
    — Catherine Hong, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Oct. 2025
  • Trends were easy, low-key, and minimalist.
    — Loren Savini, Allure, 10 Jan. 2026
  • The low-key coupe plates give every meal the Michelin-star treatment.
    — Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 1 July 2026
  • Kelce stood out among the low-key looks in a shorts suit — suit coat and matching shorts, shirt and tie and oxfords, no socks.
    — Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Despite the crowds and inevitable wait, the restaurant still feels cozy and low-key rather than overly trendy.
    — Elissa Rosen, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
  • Their low-key wedding speaks to how the couple deals with the public in general.
    — Hannah Malach, ELLE, 1 Mar. 2023
  • There are plenty of low-key places to pitch a tent within a few hours of Manhattan.
    — Jeremy Rellosa, Curbed, 27 Aug. 2025
  • For a more low-key vibe, walk over to Wally’s Café Jazz Club.
    — Kori Perten, AFAR Media, 24 Sep. 2025
  • But the region around them is unlikely to lose its low-key, nature-rooted charm.
    — Ann Abel, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
  • In the years since, the low-key pair have only publicly stepped out together a handful of times.
    — Emily Weaver, Peoplemag, 2 Mar. 2023
  • Pair it with matching sneakers or autumn boots for your next coffee run or low-key weekend hang.
    — Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Their group of friends usually celebrates in a low-key, modest way.
    — Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
  • The proposal was perfectly on brand for the low-key couple.
    — Sarah Jones, People.com, 7 Aug. 2025
  • The vibe is low-key in the morning, and as great as the rooms are, room service can’t compete with that stunning space.
    — Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Jan. 2026
  • But its 60-table card room, tucked into a low-key design, remained.
    — Chris Kenning, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'low-key.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: