keep from
phrasal verb
kept from; keeping from; keeps from
1
: to not do or experience (something)
She found it hard to keep from laughing.
It's difficult to keep from feeling worried about this situation.
It was hard to keep from confusing the twins.
2
: to prevent or stop (someone or something) from doing or experiencing (something)
She's been trying to keep herself from eating too much candy.
An umbrella will keep you from getting wet.
I don't want to keep you from (doing) your work.
3
: to not tell (something) to (someone)
What information are you keeping from me?
They think the government is keeping the truth from us.
Examples of keep from in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Only animals found to be rabid or overly aggressive are to be kept from the streets.
—
Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2025
That prompted founders Jennifer Johnson and Leslee Guardino to playfully point out that no substantive business should be discussed at the party to keep from violating the Brown Act.
—Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2025
That’s how states like Arizona and Hawaii can keep from changing their clocks twice a year.
—Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
At another time, a perpetually anxious comedian who can’t keep from ranting about his paranoid worries about the end of the world probably would not feel like such a helpful guide to life.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for keep from
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Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2025
That prompted founders Jennifer Johnson and Leslee Guardino to playfully point out that no substantive business should be discussed at the party to keep from violating the Brown Act.
—Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2025
That’s how states like Arizona and Hawaii can keep from changing their clocks twice a year.
—Alexis Simmerman, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
At another time, a perpetually anxious comedian who can’t keep from ranting about his paranoid worries about the end of the world probably would not feel like such a helpful guide to life.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for keep from
Cite this Entry
“Keep from.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/keep%20from. Accessed 31 Aug. 2025.
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