keep down

verb

kept down; keeping down; keeps down

transitive verb

1
: to keep in control
keep expenses down
2
: to prevent from growing, advancing, or succeeding

Examples of keep down in a Sentence

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.
That overall price tag could be kept down if some party involved in the deal — Kansas, the local governments, or the Chiefs — were to set aside emergency funds, Marlowe said. Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 18 Jan. 2026 But Hawke is a hard guy to keep down. David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 13 Jan. 2026 All in all, a course of Xofluza might be easier for you—or your kid already queasy from the flu itself—to get down and keep down. Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 12 Jan. 2026 And/or medication that was not kept down. Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 9 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for keep down

Word History

First Known Use

1548, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of keep down was in 1548

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Cite this Entry

“Keep down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/keep%20down. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.

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