1
as in to celebrate
to mark with an appropriate practice, rite, or ceremony
keep the Sabbath by not working
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2
as in to retain
to continue to have in one's possession or power
the money is yours to keep keep my secret and don't tell it to anyone
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3
as in to fulfill
to do what is required by the terms of
make sure you keep your promise to help out at the homeless shelter
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4
5
as in to maintain
to pay the living expenses of
agreed to keep both of their children in off-campus housing until they graduated and found jobs
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6
as in to manage
to look after and make decisions about
enlisted a relative to keep the store while she was away
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7
as in to control
to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression)
try to keep your composure no matter what happens
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8
as in to protect
to drive danger or attack away from
may God bless and keep you
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as in preserving
the act or activity of keeping something in an existing and usually satisfactory condition
the keep of the stable is mainly left to the two equine-loving daughters
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as in to avoid
to resist the temptation of
try to keep from eating all the chocolate in one day!
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as in to stick (to or with)
to give steadfast support to
always keeps to his political positions, even when they are unpopular
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keep to
5 of 5phrase
as in obey
to act according to the commands of
Let's keep to the original plan, shall we?
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of keep
Angela Haupt, Time, 21 July 2025
De Rivaz ended up keeping the tape, and never forgot about it in the ensuing decades.
—Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 21 July 2025
Jerry Shnay, Chicago Tribune, 19 May 2025
The accolades in women’s golf keep coming for Orange Lutheran High junior Jude Lee.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for keep
Verb
Advertisement Brocks focuses much of his attention these days on scleral lenses, which are large-diameter contact lenses that rest on the whites of the eyes, keeping the cornea hydrated and protecting it from irritation.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 21 July 2025
De Rivaz ended up keeping the tape, and never forgot about it in the ensuing decades.
—Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 21 July 2025
Noun
The dormant Holiday movie theater on Main Street was on the keep list.
—Jerry Shnay, Chicago Tribune, 19 May 2025
The accolades in women’s golf keep coming for Orange Lutheran High junior Jude Lee.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for keep
Recent Examples of Synonyms for keep
Noun
-
At a July 23 capital improvements committee meeting, questions were raised about why a report from the county's facilities planning steering committee recommended projects tied to maintenance and repairs at senior facilities be put on hold or not recommended at all for the 2026 budget.—
Vanessa Swales,
jsonline.com,
25 July 2025
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Changes included installing porcelain over the existing marble for easy maintenance, adding more lighting, and incorporating blue as an accent color.—
Lennie Omalza,
The Courier-Journal,
25 July 2025
Noun
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When other bidders were jockeying with Skydance, some of them – notably Sony Pictures in partnership with private equity giant Apollo Global – were viewed as worse options in terms of job preservation.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
24 July 2025
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Historic preservation advocates, including Preservation Sacramento and the Sacramento Historical Society, supported the designation.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
23 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Keep.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/keep. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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