keep down

verb

kept down; keeping down; keeps down

transitive verb

1

: to keep in control

keep expenses down

2

: to prevent from growing, advancing, or succeeding

Examples of keep down in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

On Monday, however, Roberts said Betts was not only able to keep down solid food, but felt good after a workout that included both defensive drills at shortstop (the position Betts is returning to on a full-time basis this season) and batting practice. —Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2025

Insurers say annual visit limits help keep down costs, and therefore premiums, and are intended to prevent therapists from continuing treatment when patients are no longer improving. —Jordan Rau, CBS News, 27 Mar. 2025

Finally, a modular power supply refers to the cables, which can be completely disconnected from the unit to keep down clutter and simplify installation. —Brad Bourque, Wired News, 9 Aug. 2024

Permission that is required to hunt private lands isn’t always easy to get — which makes for good turkey shooting by keeping down the number of hunters. —Dave Duffey, Outdoor Life, 2 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for keep down

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown