keep a lid on
idiom
1
: to keep (something secret) from being known
She tried to keep a lid on the news.
2
: to control (something) : to keep (something) from becoming worse
The government has been unable to keep a lid on inflation.
Examples of keep a lid on in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
And, even in the face of inflationary pressures and the Trump administration tariffs squeezing household budgets, Costco is trying to keep a lid on prices.
—
Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2025
This likely helps keep a lid on the amount of complex game visuals that need to be rendered at any one time.
—Andrew Williams, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
To somehow keep a lid on things, Starmer has chosen Peter Mandelson, a longtime ally of Blair and a former E.U. trade commissioner, as Britain’s new Ambassador to Washington.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
As streaming prices keep climbing, more subscribers are willing to opt into advertising to keep a lid on costs.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for keep a lid on
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Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2025
This likely helps keep a lid on the amount of complex game visuals that need to be rendered at any one time.
—Andrew Williams, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
To somehow keep a lid on things, Starmer has chosen Peter Mandelson, a longtime ally of Blair and a former E.U. trade commissioner, as Britain’s new Ambassador to Washington.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
As streaming prices keep climbing, more subscribers are willing to opt into advertising to keep a lid on costs.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for keep a lid on
Cite this Entry
“Keep a lid on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/keep%20a%20lid%20on. Accessed 15 May. 2025.
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