1
as in celebrated
to mark with an appropriate practice, rite, or ceremony
keep the Sabbath by not working
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in retained
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in fulfilled
to do what is required by the terms of
make sure you keep your promise to help out at the homeless shelter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
5
as in maintained
to pay the living expenses of
agreed to keep both of their children in off-campus housing until they graduated and found jobs
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in managed
to look after and make decisions about
enlisted a relative to keep the store while she was away
Synonyms & Similar Words
7
as in contained
to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression)
try to keep your composure no matter what happens
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in protected
to drive danger or attack away from
may God bless and keep you
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 kept
Following their arrival, word spread among law enforcement at Kansas City Stadium (aka Arrowhead) that the King and Queen were en route — and the path to the VVIP (yes, very very) entrance was cleared by FBI officials, who kept fans away from the area.
—
Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 21 June 2026
Lynn's infectious personality and ongoing quest for selfies made her someone that everyone wanted to know, and her sharp wit kept readers coming back for more.
—Jesse Sarles, CBS News, 20 June 2026
The other Founders had acolytes who promoted their legacy and preserved their records, but Wilson died a pariah, which kept him out of history books as the conventional narrative of the founding took shape.
—Jesse Wegman, The Atlantic, 20 June 2026
One photo showed Swift in a blue floral midi dress, and Kelce kept it simple in a button-down shirt and brown slacks.
—Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 20 June 2026
For Sicily, Lipa kept the footwear relatively quiet in custom white satin pumps by Massaro.
—Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 20 June 2026
But Warsh has frequently cited as a model former chair Alan Greenspan, whose circumspect comments often kept investors guessing.
—Christopher Rugaber, Fortune, 20 June 2026
Despite some wage growth, incomes haven’t kept pace with persistent inflation.
—Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 14 June 2026
Paddy Driscoll kicked the deciding extra point in the Cardinals’ 7-6 win and kept the Bears in poor field position all afternoon with his precision punts.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2026
Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 21 June 2026
Lynn's infectious personality and ongoing quest for selfies made her someone that everyone wanted to know, and her sharp wit kept readers coming back for more.
—Jesse Sarles, CBS News, 20 June 2026
The other Founders had acolytes who promoted their legacy and preserved their records, but Wilson died a pariah, which kept him out of history books as the conventional narrative of the founding took shape.
—Jesse Wegman, The Atlantic, 20 June 2026
One photo showed Swift in a blue floral midi dress, and Kelce kept it simple in a button-down shirt and brown slacks.
—Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 20 June 2026
For Sicily, Lipa kept the footwear relatively quiet in custom white satin pumps by Massaro.
—Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 20 June 2026
But Warsh has frequently cited as a model former chair Alan Greenspan, whose circumspect comments often kept investors guessing.
—Christopher Rugaber, Fortune, 20 June 2026
Despite some wage growth, incomes haven’t kept pace with persistent inflation.
—Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 14 June 2026
Paddy Driscoll kicked the deciding extra point in the Cardinals’ 7-6 win and kept the Bears in poor field position all afternoon with his precision punts.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kept
Verb
-
In a city celebrated for artworks that have survived for centuries, this installation was very nearly too transient.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
-
On Sunday, after Scotland won against Haiti in their first World Cup game, Scottish fans celebrated drinking so much beer that some Boston bars ran out.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
20 June 2026
Verb
-
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party retained its large parliamentary majority in recent elections overshadowed by unrest in Africa’s second-most-populous country.—
Jenny Vaughan,
semafor.com,
22 June 2026
-
One-year-old Kohen Wiley, his mother and a family friend were in the vehicle at the time, according to Ben Crump Law, which has been retained by the victim's family.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
22 June 2026
Verb
-
Fast forward to July 2024, Cypress Hill fulfilled the prophecy by joining the LSO for a one-night concert of their 1993 album, Black Sunday, at the Royal Albert Hall.—
Dan Snierson,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 June 2026
-
And this team fulfilled that hope with grit, resilience and heart — just like the five boroughs itself.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
In 2023, the company agreed to pay a fine to the Environmental Protection Agency over how its facility in Altoona, Iowa, managed chemical risk posed by the more than 10,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia stored on site.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2026
-
Unlike its counterpart, nuclear fission, fusion energy does not produce large amounts of radioactive waste that need to be stored safely.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
As the investigation continued, evidence emerged that directly contradicted original theories that Jason Hobby had started or maintained the Alexander Mountain Fire.—
Jesse Sarles,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
-
In the end, Switzerland maintained 62% possession with seven shots on goal, compared with Bosnia and Herzegovina’s three.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
Morocco attempted five shots before Scotland managed its first, which did not come until the 44th minute.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
20 June 2026
-
Among those another shot back was Jon Rahm, who missed two good chances Friday morning but still managed a 68 without a bogey on his card.—
Doug Ferguson,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
Data centers are contained in buildings stretching as far as a football field, housing thousands of continually running machines.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
18 June 2026
-
Crews quickly established hose lines on the roof and contained the blaze to a portion of the solar panels atop the structure, achieving knockdown in 48 minutes with no injuries reported, the Fire Department said at the time.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
Historically, these barriers protected incumbents; technology replacement typically occurred only when a next-generation platform emerged, or when customers concluded that they were strategically committed to the wrong technology.—
Peter Bendor-Samuel,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
-
At the University of Connecticut, undocumented student advocacy includes a campus chapter of Connecticut Students for a Dream, as well as an undocumented advisory board whose online portal is password protected to safeguard student privacy.—
Valentina Toro,
Hartford Courant,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kept.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kept. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
