diff --git a/api/openapi-spec/swagger.json b/api/openapi-spec/swagger.json
index 850c507ae29..3f1c22165b0 100644
--- a/api/openapi-spec/swagger.json
+++ b/api/openapi-spec/swagger.json
@@ -57884,9 +57884,7 @@
     "properties": {
      "key": {
       "description": "The label key that the selector applies to.",
-      "type": "string",
-      "x-kubernetes-patch-merge-key": "key",
-      "x-kubernetes-patch-strategy": "merge"
+      "type": "string"
      },
      "operator": {
       "description": "Represents a key's relationship to a set of values. Valid operators are In, NotIn, Exists, DoesNotExist. Gt, and Lt.",
@@ -60001,9 +59999,7 @@
      },
      "key": {
       "description": "Required. The taint key to be applied to a node.",
-      "type": "string",
-      "x-kubernetes-patch-merge-key": "key",
-      "x-kubernetes-patch-strategy": "merge"
+      "type": "string"
      },
      "timeAdded": {
       "description": "TimeAdded represents the time at which the taint was added. It is only written for NoExecute taints.",
@@ -60024,9 +60020,7 @@
      },
      "key": {
       "description": "Key is the taint key that the toleration applies to. Empty means match all taint keys. If the key is empty, operator must be Exists; this combination means to match all values and all keys.",
-      "type": "string",
-      "x-kubernetes-patch-merge-key": "key",
-      "x-kubernetes-patch-strategy": "merge"
+      "type": "string"
      },
      "operator": {
       "description": "Operator represents a key's relationship to the value. Valid operators are Exists and Equal. Defaults to Equal. Exists is equivalent to wildcard for value, so that a pod can tolerate all taints of a particular category.",
diff --git a/federation/apis/openapi-spec/swagger.json b/federation/apis/openapi-spec/swagger.json
index 6991d095ace..f44cbb2148f 100644
--- a/federation/apis/openapi-spec/swagger.json
+++ b/federation/apis/openapi-spec/swagger.json
@@ -10881,9 +10881,7 @@
     "properties": {
      "key": {
       "description": "The label key that the selector applies to.",
-      "type": "string",
-      "x-kubernetes-patch-merge-key": "key",
-      "x-kubernetes-patch-strategy": "merge"
+      "type": "string"
      },
      "operator": {
       "description": "Represents a key's relationship to a set of values. Valid operators are In, NotIn, Exists, DoesNotExist. Gt, and Lt.",
@@ -11933,9 +11931,7 @@
      },
      "key": {
       "description": "Key is the taint key that the toleration applies to. Empty means match all taint keys. If the key is empty, operator must be Exists; this combination means to match all values and all keys.",
-      "type": "string",
-      "x-kubernetes-patch-merge-key": "key",
-      "x-kubernetes-patch-strategy": "merge"
+      "type": "string"
      },
      "operator": {
       "description": "Operator represents a key's relationship to the value. Valid operators are Exists and Equal. Defaults to Equal. Exists is equivalent to wildcard for value, so that a pod can tolerate all taints of a particular category.",
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/api/core/v1/generated.proto b/staging/src/k8s.io/api/core/v1/generated.proto
index 63d797e018a..ca7941668a6 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/api/core/v1/generated.proto
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/api/core/v1/generated.proto
@@ -1655,8 +1655,6 @@ message NodeSelector {
 // that relates the key and values.
 message NodeSelectorRequirement {
   // The label key that the selector applies to.
-  // +patchMergeKey=key
-  // +patchStrategy=merge
   optional string key = 1;
 
   // Represents a key's relationship to a set of values.
@@ -3888,8 +3886,6 @@ message TCPSocketAction {
 // any pod that does not tolerate the Taint.
 message Taint {
   // Required. The taint key to be applied to a node.
-  // +patchMergeKey=key
-  // +patchStrategy=merge
   optional string key = 1;
 
   // Required. The taint value corresponding to the taint key.
@@ -3913,8 +3909,6 @@ message Toleration {
   // Key is the taint key that the toleration applies to. Empty means match all taint keys.
   // If the key is empty, operator must be Exists; this combination means to match all values and all keys.
   // +optional
-  // +patchMergeKey=key
-  // +patchStrategy=merge
   optional string key = 1;
 
   // Operator represents a key's relationship to the value.
diff --git a/staging/src/k8s.io/api/core/v1/types.go b/staging/src/k8s.io/api/core/v1/types.go
index cdc1237cb75..1e098c80627 100644
--- a/staging/src/k8s.io/api/core/v1/types.go
+++ b/staging/src/k8s.io/api/core/v1/types.go
@@ -2114,9 +2114,7 @@ type NodeSelectorTerm struct {
 // that relates the key and values.
 type NodeSelectorRequirement struct {
 	// The label key that the selector applies to.
-	// +patchMergeKey=key
-	// +patchStrategy=merge
-	Key string `json:"key" patchStrategy:"merge" patchMergeKey:"key" protobuf:"bytes,1,opt,name=key"`
+	Key string `json:"key" protobuf:"bytes,1,opt,name=key"`
 	// Represents a key's relationship to a set of values.
 	// Valid operators are In, NotIn, Exists, DoesNotExist. Gt, and Lt.
 	Operator NodeSelectorOperator `json:"operator" protobuf:"bytes,2,opt,name=operator,casttype=NodeSelectorOperator"`
@@ -2302,9 +2300,7 @@ type PreferredSchedulingTerm struct {
 // any pod that does not tolerate the Taint.
 type Taint struct {
 	// Required. The taint key to be applied to a node.
-	// +patchMergeKey=key
-	// +patchStrategy=merge
-	Key string `json:"key" patchStrategy:"merge" patchMergeKey:"key" protobuf:"bytes,1,opt,name=key"`
+	Key string `json:"key" protobuf:"bytes,1,opt,name=key"`
 	// Required. The taint value corresponding to the taint key.
 	// +optional
 	Value string `json:"value,omitempty" protobuf:"bytes,2,opt,name=value"`
@@ -2346,9 +2342,7 @@ type Toleration struct {
 	// Key is the taint key that the toleration applies to. Empty means match all taint keys.
 	// If the key is empty, operator must be Exists; this combination means to match all values and all keys.
 	// +optional
-	// +patchMergeKey=key
-	// +patchStrategy=merge
-	Key string `json:"key,omitempty" patchStrategy:"merge" patchMergeKey:"key" protobuf:"bytes,1,opt,name=key"`
+	Key string `json:"key,omitempty" protobuf:"bytes,1,opt,name=key"`
 	// Operator represents a key's relationship to the value.
 	// Valid operators are Exists and Equal. Defaults to Equal.
 	// Exists is equivalent to wildcard for value, so that a pod can