keep off

phrasal verb

kept off; keeping off; keeps off

1

: to stop or prevent (someone or something) from being on (something)

Keep off the grass.

Please keep the dog off the sofa.

2

keep (weight) off : to continue to weigh a lower amount than one formerly weighed : to not regain weight that one has lost

Losing weight is not as hard as keeping it off.

3

: to not talk about (something)

I think we'd better keep off the subject of the war.

4

: to prevent (someone) from talking about (something)

We tried to keep them off (the subject of) the war.

Examples of keep off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Although plans for the building are still coming into focus, the Herald reported that there will be a space in it for the ICA’s permanent collection, the vast majority of which is largely kept off view. —Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 15 Oct. 2024

Birds can be kept off the porch away from furniture and plants by using bird deterrent methods that include physical, auditory, and visual deterrents. —Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 8 Aug. 2024

The ball is kept off the ground again; the election actually shapes up as a referendum on Trump at this point. —Sean Trende, Orlando Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2024

Trump stumped heavily in North Carolina even as the COVID-19 pandemic wore on, while Mr. Biden largely kept off the physical campaign trail and did not personally visit the state in the last 16 days of the election. —CBS News, 24 July 2024