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

Synonyms

• hold out
• hold up
• last
• prevail
• survive

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

Instead, China is likely to keep up military and other pressure on Taiwan, as well as pressing its vast territorial claims in the South China Sea. —Jennifer Jett, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024

Election Day 2024: Where to Watch Special Coverage Looking to keep up with election day results? —Danielle Directo-Meston, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Nov. 2024

In the meantime, keep up with the latest news from the polls and ballot counting facilities at azcentral.com. —Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 4 Nov. 2024

Springfield, Ohio, Middle Schools, High School, City Buildings Evacuated Over Bomb Threats Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? —Samira Asma-Sadeque, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

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)