keep up with the Joneses

phrase

informal + often disapproving

: to show that one is as good as other people by getting what they have and doing what they do

people trying to keep up with the Joneses by buying expensive cars and clothes that they can't afford

Examples of keep up with the Joneses in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For homeowners, pressure to keep up with the Joneses has reached a logical extreme. — Amanda Mull, The Atlantic, 18 Nov. 2022

Tommy Lee Jones, Rashida Jones, Leslie Jones and a Jonas brother each drove a Toyota and told us to keep up with the Joneses. — Marc Bona, cleveland, 13 Feb. 2022

The constant pressure to keep up with the Joneses and look over our shoulders at what the next person is doing is a completely normal instinct. — Maggie Zhou, refinery29.com, 6 Oct. 2021

Desire to keep up with the Joneses is nothing new, but staying plugged into social media channels that constantly show you lifestyles just out of reach will easily contribute to overspending. — Sian Beilock, Forbes, 4 May 2021