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

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 Global Foundries just didn’t have enough research and development (R&D) budget, and with limited production and revenue, struggled to keep up with market leaders. Craig Barrett, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2024 Jones kept up his smooth tone over the decades, and credited one decision in particular for that longevity. Chris Willman, Variety, 25 Oct. 2024 Leaders must keep up with shifting demands and breakthrough innovations, all while maintaining reliability, revenue growth and core values. Brian Beutler, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024 Ireland’s central bank says 52,000 homes need to be built in the country every year if demand is to keep up with supply. Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 24 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for keep up 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'keep up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of keep up was in the 15th century

Cite this Entry

“Keep up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/keep%20up. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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)

More from Merriam-Webster on keep up

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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