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

During the busy holiday season, many online retailers and delivery services hire additional seasonal workers to help keep up with the flood of packages. —Jessica Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Dec. 2024

It’s all been part of a quiet-yet-loud two months for Sing, which could rank amongst the best-performing movies ever on Netflix if this streak keeps up. —Travis Bean, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024

There’s still enough room inside to keep up to six standard-sized cans of soda. —Hyphensocial Contributors, Rolling Stone, 27 Nov. 2024

And for those who like to keep up with their workout routines on the road, there is a two-story gym with Technogym equipment. —Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 27 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)