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

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
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.
Dual citizenship, however, has a flip side—including keeping up with the U.S. tax system. Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 May 2025 Since 1984, Dell has been dominating the prebuilt PC and accessory market by making hardware that keeps up with modern needs at reasonable prices. K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 23 May 2025 Similarly, Intel’s failure to keep up in the AI chip market led to layoffs and a $10 billion reduction in capital spending. Russell Sarder, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025 But the union said both proposals fell short, citing that the 13-percent wage increase over four years fails to keep up with rising costs of living. Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 23 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for keep up

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of keep up was in the 15th century

Cite this Entry

“Keep up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/keep%20up. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

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)

More from Merriam-Webster on keep up

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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