keeping 1 of 2

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as in custody
responsibility for the safety and well-being of someone or something put the house keys into a neighbor's secure keeping while they were on vacation

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as in shape
a state of being or fitness the estate hasn't been in good keeping since the owner suffered financial reverses

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

keeping

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verb

present participle of keep
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as in storing
to place somewhere for safekeeping or ready availability I keep extra toothbrushes for unexpected overnight guests

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as in supporting
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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of keeping
Noun
The report admonishes the Alameda County foster care system for ongoing structural deficiencies, including understaffing and poor record-keeping, while also noting that the agency’s plan to address service gaps may still not be enough to bring it up to standard. Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 24 Sep. 2025 Bustos has done more for the hobby of ant-keeping in the last 15 years than anyone else. Katherine Laidlaw, HubSpot, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
A lot of credit has to be given to offensive coordinator Klayton Adams and offensive line coach Conor Riley for their efforts in keeping a clean backfield, but also to Prescott for avoiding pressure. Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Oct. 2025 Over the years, the Perini family has committed to quality by keeping their operations small and their standards for ingredients—namely, beef—high. Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 5 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for keeping
Recent Examples of Synonyms for keeping
Noun
  • At the time of writing that initial article, Conway had already been in custody for a month, and he was eventually extradited to Belgium a month later.
    Matt Slater, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Since 2021, 33 inmates have died in custody at a Sacramento County jail, according to Sacramento Bee reporting.
    Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • According to Ayurveda, the traditional Indian system of medicine, eating with your hands is hygienic (after having washed your hands, of course) and beneficial to your senses and digestion.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Immediately rub your hands with olive oil to remove most of the capsaicin, and then wash them thoroughly with soap and warm water.
    Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Labor In a section of the report focused on workers’ rights and safety, the NCP reiterates its gripes about lack of supplier audit documentation and adherence to local law rather than international standards.
    Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 1 Oct. 2025
  • When Seedance and Seedream came out, his team conducted internal testing to compare their prompt adherence, image quality, speed, and cost to American competitors.
    Andrew R. Chow, Time, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • There are hundreds of models available in all shapes, sizes, and (most frighteningly) price ranges.
    Taylor Fox, Travel + Leisure, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Passionate about utopian socialism and architecture, Gaudí’s forms and shapes were totally fresh, otherworldly and are sometimes referred to as a precursor of the Surrealist movement, of which Salvador Dalí was a key proponent.
    Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • So when substitute Norberto Alonso popped up for the winner in the opening 2-1 victory over Hungary, there was the somewhat egregious sight of him celebrating over on the far side with the No 1 on his back.
    Michael Cox, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
  • The billionaire founder of Bridgewater Associates has cautioned against leaders celebrating prosperity as proof that leverage no longer matters, even as debt quietly outpaces income.
    Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Of course, this requires an incredible sense of equilibrium in the vineyard, including pinpointing when the grapes have reached full ripeness while still retaining a very high level of acidity, leaving a very small window for picking.
    Mike DeSimone, Robb Report, 5 Oct. 2025
  • Mulch has many benefits in the garden, like retaining soil moisture, insulating roots, and deterring weeds.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 5 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • But Yu said the e-tail giant isn’t concerned about fulfilling orders from other platforms.
    Meghan Hall, Sourcing Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
  • The ability to guide people in pregnancy, childbirth and beyond is, for me, the most intimate and fulfilling part of medicine.
    Tami S. Rowen, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Sébastien Philippe of the University of Wisconsin–Madison is a nuclear security specialist who has studied past harms and potential risks of building, testing and storing nuclear weapons.
    Elizabeth Blair, NPR, 8 Oct. 2025
  • This spacious one works in an entryway, or for storing bedtime reads above your little one’s nightstand.
    Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 8 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Keeping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/keeping. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

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