Cryptic crossword clue
Key was first put in the wrong way 3

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 3 letter word DEL

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
D
E
L

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Key" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case key = del.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does DEL mean?

DEL noun
  1. The symbol ∇ used to denote the gradient operator.
  2. The symbol ∂, in the context of a partial differential
DEL noun
  1. A part, portion
DEL noun
  1. A person authorized to act as representative for another; a deputy
  2. A representative at a conference, etc.
  3. An appointed representative in some legislative bodies
  4. A type of variable storing a reference to a method with a particular signature, analogous to a function pointer
DEL noun
  1. An act of delegating.
  2. A group of delegates used to discuss issues with an opponent.
  3. A method-dispatching technique describing the lookup and inheritance rules for self-referential calls.
  4. A contract whereby the original debtor substitutes a new debtor in his stead, with the creditor’s permission.
DEL verb
  1. To remove, get rid of or erase, especially written or printed material, or data on a computer or other device.

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