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Definition of keepnext
1
as in to celebrate
to mark with an appropriate practice, rite, or ceremony keep the Sabbath by not working

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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as in to store
to place somewhere for safekeeping or ready availability I keep extra toothbrushes for unexpected overnight guests

Synonyms & Similar Words

5
as in to maintain
to pay the living expenses of agreed to keep both of their children in off-campus housing until they graduated and found jobs

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keep

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word keep different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of keep are celebrate, commemorate, and observe. While all these words mean "to notice or honor a day, occasion, or deed," keep stresses the idea of not neglecting or violating.

kept the Sabbath by refraining from work

Where would celebrate be a reasonable alternative to keep?

While in some cases nearly identical to keep, celebrate suggests acknowledging an occasion by festivity.

traditionally celebrates Thanksgiving with a huge dinner

When might commemorate be a better fit than keep?

In some situations, the words commemorate and keep are roughly equivalent. However, commemorate suggests that an occasion is marked by observances that remind one of the origin and significance of the event.

commemorate Memorial Day with the laying of wreaths

When is it sensible to use observe instead of keep?

Although the words observe and keep have much in common, observe suggests marking the occasion by ceremonious performance.

not all holidays are observed nationally

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of keep
Verb
Schweit said Braun was thrown in the trunk of a car and later kept chained in a snowmobile trailer. Chris Kenning, USA Today, 8 Feb. 2026 She was set to compete in the women’s super-G as well, but the crash may very well keep her out of that event. Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 8 Feb. 2026
Noun
Best Women’s Shoe Deals Nordstrom’s Half-Yearly Sale is stacked with walk-all-day travel shoes that earn their keep far beyond winter. Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 20 Dec. 2025 Indeed, the gap between what is necessary and what is politically palatable keeps widening. Douglas Rediker, Foreign Affairs, 17 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for keep
Recent Examples of Synonyms for keep
Verb
  • The Los Angeles Dodgers will accept an invitation to the White House for a ceremony to celebrate their 2025 World Series victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.
    Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
  • This was confirmed with a photo released to celebrate the Prince of Wales’ birthday that featured the puppies and mentioned them in the caption.
    Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The company expects to close a deal in the spring to sell 60% of its China business to Boyu Capital, while retaining a 40% stake.
    Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 8 Feb. 2026
  • The next year, he was appointed sheriff, but lost an election in 2016 to retain the position.
    Peter D'Abrosca , Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 8 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Without a next generation in line, who will take care of these childless Americans, ensure their dying wishes are fulfilled and oversee where their assets will go after death?
    Medora Lee, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
  • This mixture has it all to fulfill both salty cravings and a sweet tooth.
    Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The bronze doors and concrete walls with remarkably few windows looked ancient, and the building more closely resembled a student dormitory awaiting demolition than an institution where precious cultural assets from around the world were collected and stored.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
  • For decades, this half-square-mile town wedged between Costco and Highway 1 has been hiding in plain sight — a warehouse district turned open-air art gallery, where murals climb concrete walls and sculptors work in spaces that once stored industrial equipment.
    Audrey T. Williams, Mercury News, 26 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • China may also prefer to maintain a lower renminbi value compared with other currencies, in order to support its export-reliant economy.
    Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 4 Feb. 2026
  • Many of his contacts maintained relationships for years after his guilty plea.
    Erin Mansfield, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • His campaign disputes that characterization, emphasizing his role on the administration’s FEMA Review Council, a body tasked with evaluating disaster policy rather than managing day-to-day operations, according to reporting from the Charlotte Observer.
    Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 4 Feb. 2026
  • An American surfer managed to drag his surfboard onto the train, even though it wasn’t allowed.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • As armed gangs now control up to 90% of metropolitan Port-au-Prince and parts of the Artibonite region -- areas that together represent roughly 60% of the electorate -- Washington has emphasized the need for stability and a swift path to elections rather than a prolonged transition.
    JACQUELINE CHARLES MIAMI HERALD, Arkansas Online, 6 Feb. 2026
  • The Mavericks had the fourth-highest payroll in the NBA, controlled only two first-round picks outright until 2031, and had no second-round picks until 2030, before the Davis trade.
    SportsDay Staff, Dallas Morning News, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Photographer Alina Vlady echoes this sentiment, emphasizing that a phone-free ceremony protects the couple’s experience.
    Nikita Khanna, Vogue, 5 Feb. 2026
  • Cubans were shocked by the US operation in January that captured their key ally, Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, and resulted in the deaths of more than 30 Cuban security forces protecting him.
    Bianna Golodryga, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Keep.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/keep. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.

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