apply vs shortcut

apply

verb
  • To put to use; to use or employ for a particular purpose, or in a particular case 

  • To pertain or be relevant to a specified individual or group. 

  • To make use of, declare, or pronounce, as suitable, fitting, or relative 

  • To address; to refer; generally used reflexively. 

  • To lay or place; to put (one thing to another) 

  • To put closely; to join; to engage and employ diligently, or with attention 

  • To submit oneself as a candidate (with the adposition "to" designating the recipient of the submission, and the adposition "for" designating the position). 

shortcut

verb
  • To take or use a shortcut 

noun
  • A keyboard shortcut: a combination of keystrokes that provides easier access to a command or operation. 

  • A path between two points that is faster than the commonly used paths. 

  • A method to accomplish something that omits one or more steps. 

  • A file that points to the location of another file and serves as a quick way to access it. 

How often have the words apply and shortcut occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )