KEEPING Synonyms: 341 Similar and Opposite Words

keeping 1 of 2

noun

ˈkē-piŋ

Definition of keeping

as in custody

responsibility for the safety and well-being of someone or something put the house keys into a neighbor's secure keeping while they were on vacation

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Relevance

as in hands

the fact or state of having (something) at one's disposal my aunt has all of our family's old photographs in her keeping

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as in adherence

the following of a custom, rule, or law the keeping of religious laws and traditions

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as in shape

a state of being or fitness the estate hasn't been in good keeping since the owner suffered financial reverses

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keeping

2 of 2

verb

present participle of keep

as in celebrating

to mark with an appropriate practice, rite, or ceremony keep the Sabbath by not working

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as in retaining

to continue to have in one's possession or power the money is yours to keep keep my secret and don't tell it to anyone

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as in fulfilling

to do what is required by the terms of make sure you keep your promise to help out at the homeless shelter

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as in storing

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

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as in supporting

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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as in managing

to look after and make decisions about enlisted a relative to keep the store while she was away

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as in controlling

to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression) try to keep your composure no matter what happens

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as in protecting

to drive danger or attack away from may God bless and keep you

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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 keeping

Noun

Luka Garza lost most of his minutes to Nikola Vučević, who has since departed in free agency (and who the Celtics didn’t express much interest in keeping). — Jay King, New York Times, 1 July 2026 Since record-keeping began in 1875, the available records show Pittsburgh has only hit 100 degrees or greater 21 times. — Trey Fulbright, CBS News, 1 July 2026

Verb

Nolan delivers one fantastical set piece after another to test Matt Damon’s Odysseus, while keeping the audience equally compelled by the palace intrigue back at Ithaca as Anne Hathaway’s Penelope holds off a brutish gaggle of suitors. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2026 The 10-episode fifth season, which will start production in Nova Scotia later this summer, will premiere on the CW in 2027, keeping the series’ yearly cadence. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 16 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for keeping

Recent Examples of Synonyms for keeping

Noun

Tuesday’s death also marked at least the 46th person to die while in custody at the Sacramento County Main Jail or RCCC since January 2021, according to data compiled by The Sacramento Bee.

— Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026
What began as a low-level juvenile case became five years in secure custody as his behavior deteriorated and new charges accumulated.

— Christina Buttons, Washington Post, 14 July 2026

Definition of custody

Noun

Imagine how that comes across to a president who wouldn’t admit to climate change if his putter melted in his hands or Mar-a-Lago became a swim-up hotel.

— Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026
But while Erling Haaland and his band of striking Vikings have taken the 2026 World Cup by storm, Norwegian sports officials have been wringing their hands about the future of the nation’s sports model.

— Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 10 July 2026

Definition of hands

Noun

What differentiates Ammortal from the glut of wellness and optimization products on the market, according to its charismatic and observably in-shape founder, is the promise of a more all-encompassing experience of physical and mental restoration.

— Jake Nevins, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026
The compatibility between their shapes allows lactase to break lactose apart into its simple sugar components, which are more easily managed by the digestive system.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 15 July 2026

Definition of shape

Verb

Part of an overall approach to mindfulness is an awareness of one’s surroundings, and celebrating Central Texas culture with mindful movement and creativity is one way to do that.

— Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 16 July 2026
The restaurant opened against very tough competition from Mezcales across the street, a large and traditional Tex-Mex restaurant in a former steakhouse, and El Paseo, a longtime Fort Worth favorite celebrating its 40th anniversary.

— Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026

Definition of celebrating

Verb

Graham would no doubt argue that this is a reasonable price to pay for retaining the ability to convince a President.

— Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 12 July 2026
Iran insists on retaining control over shipping through the waterway and says vessels should instead use routes through its own territorial waters.

— Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 11 July 2026

Definition of retaining

Verb

What fewer people appreciate is that friendship does, too, and the return on that investment may be just as consequential for a fulfilling retirement.

— Wes Moss, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Whatever the mission type, the winning team is determined by total score, which includes both fulfilling the mission objective and shooting down enemies.

— Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 9 July 2026

Definition of fulfilling

Verb

New York is one of the few states in the country which require non-transplant tissue banks and those distributing, processing, storing or collecting human tissue to hold a license.

— Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 13 July 2026
Instead of repeatedly storing intermediate data in memory before sending it to the next processor, the system transmitted feature maps directly through the optical network.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 13 July 2026

Definition of storing

Cite this Entry

Style

“Keeping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/keeping. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of keeping

noun

verb

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