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

Synonyms

• survive
• last
• prevail

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

Follow National Charity League and keep up with the del Norte chapter on Instagram. Find out more about Bridge of Hope on their website at www.bridgeofhopesd.org and on their Facebook page. —News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025

The gap in readiness is stark: while the U.S. is already experiencing political and economic fights over whether the grid can keep up, China is operating from a position of abundance. —Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2025

But Don could not keep up with Wilford’s improvisational vibe. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2025

However, there remains a persistent shortage of this talent, especially as technology advances faster than the workforce can keep up. —Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for keep up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup

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)