What is the shortcut key to force quit an application on a Mac?

Short answer: ⌘ + option + escape

Long answer: Although many Mac zealots would say otherwise, Apple Mac computers are not perfect. Occasionally, applications will quit working and you’re stuck staring at what I like to call, “the Rainbow wheel Of Death”, or ROD for short. You’ll know him when you see him!

Often, a little patience will pay off and the application will resume, but if you know it’s crashed, or you’re impatient, force quit the application. Hit the key combo above, and the ensuing dialog will list your applications AND tell you if one is not responding. You can even force quit (or relaunch) the finder through the force quit dialog.

Alternatively, you can also find “Force Quit” under the apple in the title bar, or by holding the left mouse button on the guilty application’s icon in the dock.