keep tabs on
idiom
informal
: to carefully watch (someone or something) in order to learn what that person or thing is doing
We are keeping tabs on their movements.
The magazine keeps tabs on the latest fashion trends.
Examples of keep tabs on in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In an attempt to track down these aspiring Zuckerbergs, Bay Area venture-capital firms host elaborate dinners for young tech workers and hire undergraduate scouts at elite colleges to keep tabs on promising talent.
—
Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 20 Dec. 2025
Apple AirTags are a game-changer for travelers who like to keep tabs on their luggage, backpacks, or even passport holders.
—Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 20 Dec. 2025
The district also uses GoGuardian monitoring software to keep tabs on how students use devices.
—Tyler Kingkade, NBC news, 5 Dec. 2025
These appointments — not part of the immigration court system but sometimes just a floor or two away — are a routine way US authorities keep tabs on people who’ve been accused of violating immigration laws.
—Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN Money, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for keep tabs on
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Lila Shroff, The Atlantic, 20 Dec. 2025
Apple AirTags are a game-changer for travelers who like to keep tabs on their luggage, backpacks, or even passport holders.
—Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 20 Dec. 2025
The district also uses GoGuardian monitoring software to keep tabs on how students use devices.
—Tyler Kingkade, NBC news, 5 Dec. 2025
These appointments — not part of the immigration court system but sometimes just a floor or two away — are a routine way US authorities keep tabs on people who’ve been accused of violating immigration laws.
—Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN Money, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for keep tabs on
Cite this Entry
“Keep tabs on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/keep%20tabs%20on. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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