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

But over the decades, as the tourists took their clubs and money to fancier courses, things at Sullivan County were left to the locals to keep up. —Lee Cowan, CBS News, 3 May 2026

The result is closer to a private members club that happens to be a place to stay—a refreshing alternative for the frequent Paris traveler eager to remove themself from the tourist crush and keep up their own work and fitness routines. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 May 2026

Boeing’s efforts to keep up kept hitting development snags including its first uncrewed test flight, which missed its rendezvous with the space station entirely in 2019. —Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 May 2026

Israel and Lebanon’s militant group Hezbollah have kept up their attacks despite a ceasefire in place since April 17. —Bassem Mroue, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 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)