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
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
In reality, this coach was holding overt post-game prayer meetings on the 50-yard line, ones that an atheist player felt compelled to attend to keep off the bench.
—The Editors, Scientific American, 10 July 2024
Like buying a CrossFit membership to keep off the belly flab or seeing that therapist who keeps excavating childhood traumas, this is a lifelong relationship, a thing of commitment and sweat and never-ending vigilance.
—Sam Kestenbaum, Harper's Magazine, 21 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for keep off 
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
In reality, this coach was holding overt post-game prayer meetings on the 50-yard line, ones that an atheist player felt compelled to attend to keep off the bench.
—The Editors, Scientific American, 10 July 2024
Like buying a CrossFit membership to keep off the belly flab or seeing that therapist who keeps excavating childhood traumas, this is a lifelong relationship, a thing of commitment and sweat and never-ending vigilance.
—Sam Kestenbaum, Harper's Magazine, 21 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for keep off
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'keep off.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near keep off
Cite this Entry
“Keep off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/keep%20off. Accessed 21 Sep. 2024.
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