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? —Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 29 Nov. 2025

She’s kept up her recording career over the years, releasing seven albums, including 2022’s In Real Life. —Maggie Fremont, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Nov. 2025

Despite a solid passing game from quarterback Jared Goff with 256 yards and two touchdowns, as well as 144 yards and a touchdown from receiver Jameson Williams, the team couldn’t keep up with their division rivals. —Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025

Meanwhile the world’s preeminent military – the US – isn’t keeping up, according to a June report from the Heritage Foundation think tank. —Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 27 Nov. 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)