keep up

verb

kept up; keeping up; keeps up

transitive verb

: to persist or persevere in

kept up the good work

also : maintain, sustain

keep standards up

intransitive verb

1

: to keep adequately informed or up-to-date

keep up on international affairs

2

: to continue without interruption

rain kept up all night

3

: to maintain contact or relations with someone

keep up with old friends

Synonyms of keep up

• survive
• last
• prevail

Examples of keep up in a Sentence

let's hope that old air conditioner keeps up through this heat wave

kept the house up while the owners were gone

Recent Examples on the Web

Both Faulstich and the couple’s son, Matt Gates, praised their father’s commitment to routine, both in keeping up the tradition of the Peachtree Road Race and life in general. — Andre Butso, AJC.com, 2 July 2026

In the sweet family snap, Mahomes posed wearing a no-fuss crossbody sling bag that’s ideal for staying hands-free — and keeping up with her and Patrick Mahomes’ three children, Sterling, Bronze, and Golden. — Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026

The end goal should not be minimizing the number of systems per se, but rather making sure those systems can be adjusted and integrated quickly to keep up with changing business demands. — Eugenia Mykuliak, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

Expect Pogačar and Vingegaard to test their legs in this one, along with anyone else who can keep up. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 1 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for keep up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup

Kids Definition

keep up

verb

1

: maintain sense 1

keep standards up

2

: to stay well informed about something

keep up on the news

3

: to continue without interruption

rain kept up all night

4

: to stay even with others (as in a race)