keep on
phrasal verb
kept on; keeping on; keeps on
1
informal
: to continue happening, doing something, working, etc.
The rain kept on throughout the day.
He talked and talked. At one point I thought he would keep on all night.
She kept on talking after I told her to be quiet.
2
: to continue to have (someone) as an employee
The chef was kept on even after the restaurant was sold.
Examples of keep on in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That first bucket of flowers has become the gift that keeps on giving.
—
Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 22 Feb. 2026
No matter how many times he was slapped in the face or counted out, Jesse Jackson kept on running—the consummate political survivor.
—Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
Both King Charles and Queen Camilla kept on with their busy day of royal engagements on Thursday.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 19 Feb. 2026
Colbert is under contract through May and has been kept on the air since the cancellation announcement last year.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for keep on
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Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 22 Feb. 2026
No matter how many times he was slapped in the face or counted out, Jesse Jackson kept on running—the consummate political survivor.
—Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
Both King Charles and Queen Camilla kept on with their busy day of royal engagements on Thursday.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 19 Feb. 2026
Colbert is under contract through May and has been kept on the air since the cancellation announcement last year.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for keep on
Cite this Entry
“Keep on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/keep%20on. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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