keep after
phrasal verb
kept after; keeping after; keeps after
1
informal
: to tell (someone) again and again to do something
My kids kept after me to quit smoking, so I finally did.
I wasn't going to audition, but my friends kept after me.
2
US
: to require (a student) to stay at school after classes have ended
The teacher kept him after (school) for misbehaving in class.
Examples of keep after in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The gross profit margin is one of them — the portion that companies keep after paying just the direct costs to make or stock their goods.
—
Alina Selyukh, NPR, 9 Sep. 2024
While a student at Christian Brothers High School, he was kept after classes one day and happened to see a group of female students arrive at the all-boys school for a theatrical production.
—Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 3 July 2024
However, Israel does not want to keep the bulk of its military based in Gaza indefinitely, but rather to pull back and regularly reenter to keep after Hamas.
—Trudy Rubin, The Mercury News, 17 Jan. 2024
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.
Alina Selyukh, NPR, 9 Sep. 2024
While a student at Christian Brothers High School, he was kept after classes one day and happened to see a group of female students arrive at the all-boys school for a theatrical production.
—Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 3 July 2024
However, Israel does not want to keep the bulk of its military based in Gaza indefinitely, but rather to pull back and regularly reenter to keep after Hamas.
—Trudy Rubin, The Mercury News, 17 Jan. 2024
Dictionary Entries Near keep after
Cite this Entry
“Keep after.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/keep%20after. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share