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Keep (Verb)

Meaning¹

Maintain by writing regular records; "keep a diary"; "maintain a record"; "keep notes".

Classification

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing.

Examples

I keep a travel journal to document my trips around the world.
She keeps a food diary to track her daily calorie intake.
I keep notes on the characters in this book so I can remember them easily.
The researcher keeps a laboratory notebook to maintain accurate records of her experiments.
The teacher keeps a grade book to maintain detailed records of student progress throughout the semester.

Meaning²

Supply with necessities and support; "She alone sustained her family"; "The money will sustain our good cause"; "There's little to earn and many to keep".

Examples

With my job I can just about keep my family in food and clothing.
Her salary was barely enough to keep her two children at school.
The charity relies on donations to keep its food bank running.
He struggled to keep his wife and children after losing his job.
The school fees were too high for them to keep their children there.

Related Words

Keep (noun)

Meaning³

Fail to spoil or rot; "These potatoes keep for a long time".

Classification

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations.

Examples

Apples picked at the right time and kept in proper conditions will keep well for several months.
In a cool dry place these onions will keep until next year.
Unpeeled potatoes can keep for weeks if stored in a cool dark place with good ventilation.
If stored properly in the refrigerator, the leftovers will keep overnight.
Certain types of cheese will keep for many years if aged and stored correctly.

Meaning⁴

Raise; "She keeps a few chickens in the yard"; "he keeps bees".

Classification

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations.

Examples

She keeps a vegetable patch in her garden backyard.
He keeps goldfish in the pond near his cottage.
They keep a small flock of geese on the farm property.
He keeps rabbits in hutches in his neighbourhood backyard.
She keeps a few ducks in the pond at her rural home.

Meaning⁵

Continue a certain state, condition, or activity; "Keep on working!"; "We continued to work into the night"; "Keep smiling"; "We went on working until well past midnight".

Classification

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations.

Examples

Keep practicing and you'll see improvement in your skills.
They keep smiling even in the face of adversity.
The volunteers will keep working until the project is completed.
We keep going forward despite the setbacks.
The team will keep pushing themselves to achieve their goals.

Meaning⁶

Stick to correctly or closely; "The pianist kept time with the metronome"; "keep count"; "I cannot keep track of all my employees".

Classification

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting.

Examples

The conductor kept tempo with the rest of the orchestra throughout the difficult symphony.
She found it difficult to keep pace with her fit running partner during the marathon training sessions.
Keep score, and let's see who wins this game in the end.
He struggled to keep tabs on all the various expenses for the project budget.
The athlete learned to keep rhythm and rhyme in her routine to enhance her performance.

Meaning⁷

Store or keep customarily; "Where do you keep your gardening tools?".

Examples

Where do you keep your winter clothes in the summer?
Can you tell me where you keep your bike when it rains?
She keeps her jewelry in a safe in the bedroom.
Do you keep your books on a shelf or in storage bins?
Where do you keep your car keys when you're not driving?

Meaning⁸

Conform one's action or practice to; "keep appointments"; "she never keeps her promises"; "We kept to the original conditions of the contract".

Classification

Verbs of political and social activities and events.

Examples

She always keeps her word and you can rely on her.
They made a commitment to the project and kept to the agreed timeline.
We will keep to the original plan and avoid any last-minute changes.
He promised to help me move and kept to his word, showing up on time.
The company is working hard to keep to the government's environmental regulations.

Related Words

Keeping (noun)

Meaning⁹

Have as a supply; "I always keep batteries in the freezer"; "keep food for a week in the pantry"; "She keeps a sixpack and a week's worth of supplies in the refrigerator".

Examples

I always keep water bottles in my car for emergency situations.
She keeps a first aid kit and pain relievers in the medicine cabinet.
They keep a backup generator and fuel in the garage for natural disasters.
We keep enough canned food for a month in our storage room.
He keeps a small collection of essential tools in the workshop.

Meaning¹⁰

Supply with room and board; "He is keeping three women in the guest cottage"; "keep boarders".

Classification

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations.

Examples

The wealthy businessman kept several live-in servants in his mansion.
She has been keeping a boarder in her spare room since her husband left.
They are keeping a college student in their home in exchange for light housekeeping duties.
The kind elderly lady keeps several foster children in her large house.
The couple has been keeping a foreign exchange student in their guest room for the semester.

Meaning¹¹

Cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., `keep clean'; "hold in place"; "She always held herself as a lady"; "The students keep me on my toes".

Classification

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations.

Examples

She keeps her room organized to maintain a sense of calmness.
The joggers kept themselves warm by doing extra laps around the track.
He tried to keep the baby entertained with toys to avoid a tantrum.
The garden requires daily watering to keep the plants alive during summer.
They made sure to keep their voices down in the library to avoid disturbing others.

Related Words

Meaning¹²

Look after; be the keeper of; have charge of; "He keeps the shop when I am gone".

Examples

My neighbor keeps an eye on my house when I'm on vacation.
She keeps the house tidy and organized all by herself.
The kindergarten teacher keeps the kids safe during recess.
He keeps our office running smoothly while the boss is away.
My sister keeps our grandmother's old recipe book in her kitchen.

Related Words

Meaning¹³

Prevent the action or expression of; "hold back your anger"; "keep your cool"; "she struggled to restrain her impatience at the delays".

Classification

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..

Examples

He managed to keep his fear hidden as he faced the interviewer.
Try to keep your emotions from overwhelming you during this difficult time.
She had to keep her annoyance in check when her little brother broke her favorite toy.
When the police sirens went off, the officer told everyone to keep calm and stay where they were.
Despite his growing frustration, he struggled to keep his anger from getting the better of him.

Meaning¹⁴

Retain rights to; "keep my job for me while I give birth"; "keep my seat, please"; "keep open the possibility of a merger".

Examples

The company will keep the rights to the patent even after the project is completed.
Can you keep my job for me while I recover from my injury.
Please keep my seat, I'm just stepping outside for some fresh air.
We'll keep open the possibility of hiring additional staff until the end of the year.
The union is working to keep its members' benefits intact during the negotiations.

Meaning¹⁵

Maintain for use and service; "I keep a car in the countryside"; "She keeps an apartment in Paris for her shopping trips".

Examples

I keep a small boat on the lake for the summer months.
She keeps a house in the coastal town where her family has lived for years.
He keeps a flat in the city for when he has late-night meetings.
We keep a cottage in the mountains for our annual family vacation.
They keep a condo near the airport for easy access when they travel.

Meaning¹⁶

Hold and prevent from leaving; "The student was kept after school".

Classification

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.

Examples

The parents kept the kids inside during the storm to ensure their safety.
The hotel staff kept the luggage secure while the owners were away.
The bodyguards kept the celebrities away from the paparazzi.
The coach kept the players on the field for extra practice.
The prisoner was kept in solitary confinement for his own protection.

Related Words

Keep (noun)

Meaning¹⁷

Behave as expected during of holidays or rites; "Keep the commandments"; "celebrate Christmas"; "Observe Yom Kippur".

Classification

Verbs of political and social activities and events.

Examples

Keep the Sabbath holy by attending church services and spending time with family.
In Islam, Muslims are expected to keep the Ramadan fast by abstaining from food and drink during daylight hours.
During the Hindu festival of Navratri, some people keep a fast of penance to purify the body and soul.
In many Jewish households, families keep Hanukkah by lighting the menorah and exchanging gifts for eight nights.
During Lent, Catholics are encouraged to keep the 40-day period of reflection and abstinence by giving up certain luxuries.

Meaning¹⁸

Retain possession of; "Can I keep my old stuffed animals?"; "She kept her maiden name after she married".

Examples

She decided to keep her grandmother's antique piano after she passed away.
The company will keep the entire staff on during the transition period.
Can I keep the extra keys in case I need them someday?
After the divorce, she kept the house and the majority of the assets.
He kept his collection of vintage toys from his childhood in a large storage unit.

Related Words

Stop (someone or something) from doing something or being in a certain state; "We must prevent the cancer from spreading"; "His snoring kept me from falling asleep"; "Keep the child from eating the marbles".

Classification

Verbs of political and social activities and events.

Examples

She kept the flowers from wilting by watering them every day.
He kept the noise down so as not to disturb the neighbors.
The medication helped keep his blood pressure from getting too high.
Her presence kept the children from fighting with each other.
The sunscreen kept her skin from burning in the sun.

Synonyms

Prevent

Hyponyms

Meaning²⁰

Maintain in safety from injury, harm, or danger; "May God keep you".

Classification

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations.

Examples

May God keep you safe on your journey.
I pray that the Lord will keep her from harm.
My grandmother always said a prayer to keep me safe at night.
The guard's duty was to keep the travelers free from attack.
The amulet was believed to keep evil spirits away from the wearer.

Synonyms

Preserve

Meaning²¹

Allow to remain in a place or position or maintain a property or feature; "We cannot continue several servants any longer"; "She retains a lawyer"; "The family's fortune waned and they could not keep their household staff"; "Our grant has run out and we cannot keep you on"; "We kept the work going as long as we could"; "She retained her composure"; "this garment retains its shape even after many washings".

Classification

Verbs of political and social activities and events.

Examples

We will keep the store open late tonight for the holiday shoppers.
The city lacks funds to keep the public pool open year-round.
She makes an effort to keep her youthful voice as long as she can.
They could no longer keep their big house because of the rising property taxes.
The charity tries to keep its administrative costs down to give more to those in need.

Synonyms

Hypernyms

Meaning²²

Prevent (food) from rotting; "preserved meats"; "keep potatoes fresh".

Classification

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..

Examples

Keep your potatoes fresh by storing them in a cool, dark place.
To keep the vegetables from spoiling, we picked them at the right time and stored them properly.
To keep food from going bad, make sure to seal the containers tightly.
Keep your carrots fresh for longer by keeping them in a container with sand and storing in a cold place.
Keep the fruits and vegetables from rotting by maintaining a consistent refrigerator temperature.

Synonyms

Preserve

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