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
But in all the months that Smith was kept on organ support (a more accurate term than life support), the attorney general refused to issue a formal legal opinion.
—
Christine Henneberg, The Atlantic, 24 June 2025
The chair was worried about the organization’s safe governance and how the board’s independent directors could be kept on side.
—Dr. John Blakey, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
While many sellers have decided to stop waiting for mortgage rates to come down to sell their properties, many buyers are being kept on the sidelines by high prices and monthly payments, and are leaving those listings sitting idle on the market for increasingly long periods of time.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 2025
Off the track, Felix faced a different kind of pressure to stay in her lane – keeping on good terms with her primary sponsor, Nike.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 22 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for keep on
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Christine Henneberg, The Atlantic, 24 June 2025
The chair was worried about the organization’s safe governance and how the board’s independent directors could be kept on side.
—Dr. John Blakey, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
While many sellers have decided to stop waiting for mortgage rates to come down to sell their properties, many buyers are being kept on the sidelines by high prices and monthly payments, and are leaving those listings sitting idle on the market for increasingly long periods of time.
—Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 2025
Off the track, Felix faced a different kind of pressure to stay in her lane – keeping on good terms with her primary sponsor, Nike.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 22 June 2025
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 1 Jul. 2025.
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