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

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

At the time, most customers wanted at least two competing suppliers for any new family of semiconductor components, to ensure product availability and keep down prices. —IEEE Spectrum, 22 June 2017

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