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? —Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026

That’s allowed for more space for fire ladders, ambulances and engines — including the first electric engine in the state — to keep up with increasing call volume. —Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 4 Jan. 2026

Among them is their human familiar, Guillermo (Harvey Guillén), who tries to keep up with the clan's everyday chaos in hopes of one day becoming immortal. —James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Jan. 2026

Whether the league can keep up with the next star player who nears the end of her contract, though, is still an open question. —Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 4 Jan. 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)