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

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 Now Wolverine, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Rogue, Storm and their teammates must keep up Charles’ fight — now with sharper colors and more stylish animation. Jordan Moreau, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024 School Superintendent Following Nex Benedict's Death Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2024 But keeping up the walking paths and pool, and the upcoming need to dredge the lake, means homeowners association fees are on the rise, which has annoyed some residents. Barbara Ruben, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024 Forward Filip Zadina scored twice on the man advantage Tuesday to establish a new career high for goals in a season — and keep up the momentum the San Jose Sharks have established in recent games with their power play. Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2024 These cycles are inherent and might also establish someone as a night owl or an early bird, Goldstein said, and could cause difficulty with keeping up with a work schedule that does not align with an individual’s biological cycle, resulting in daytime sleepiness. Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024 Lyons shared some context that could help explain why women’s salaries are not keeping up with men’s: the pandemic. Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Mar. 2024 If that funding had kept up with inflation, MPS officials estimate the district would be getting an extra $210 million each year. Rory Linnane, Journal Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2024 Couple Allegedly Posed as Amazon Driver to Kidnap Relative’s Infant, Fled with the Child in an Amazon Box Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Samira Asma-Sadeque, Peoplemag, 2 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'keep up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of keep up was in the 15th century

Cite this Entry

“Keep up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/keep%20up. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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)

More from Merriam-Webster on keep up

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!