keep up

verb

kept up; keeping up; keeps up

transitive verb

: to persist or persevere in
kept up the good work
also : maintain, sustain
keep standards up

intransitive verb

1
: to keep adequately informed or up-to-date
keep up on international affairs
2
: to continue without interruption
rain kept up all night
3
: to maintain contact or relations with someone
keep up with old friends

Examples of keep up in a Sentence

let's hope that old air conditioner keeps up through this heat wave kept the house up while the owners were gone
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Summit kept up the strong play as its defense forced and recovered a fumble from Dallas Simmons. Jordan Neal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Oct. 2025 Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025 The Mercury kept up their resilience throughout the fourth quarter, turning it into a six-point game at one point but Las Vegas proved to be too much. Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025 The drive to keep up with innovation and deliver results can stretch leaders and teams to their limits, putting their well-being and resilience at risk. Lara Abrash, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for keep up

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of keep up was in the 15th century

Cite this Entry

“Keep up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/keep%20up. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

keep up

verb
1
: maintain sense 1
keep standards up
2
: to stay well informed about something
keep up on the news
3
: to continue without interruption
rain kept up all night
4
: to stay even with others (as in a race)

More from Merriam-Webster on keep up

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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