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 of keep up

• 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

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? —Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026

But Johnson said lawmakers should keep up their efforts. —Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 16 Apr. 2026

Pash said the state licensing process and other aspects of opening the business were not terribly difficult, but since growers were licensed the same day as adult-use dispensaries, the supply side has been struggling to keep up with demand. —Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 15 Apr. 2026

Over the years, Hershey has taken a turn toward snacks other than chocolate or candy, boosting its brands with salty snacks from pretzels to popcorn, and diversifying its business to keep up with consumer habits. —David P. Willis, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026

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)