1
: the act of maintaining in good condition : the state of being maintained in good condition
2
: the cost of maintaining in good condition
Examples of upkeep in a Sentence
Who is responsible for the upkeep of these buildings?
Once your car gets that old, the cost of upkeep can get very expensive.
The yard requires very little upkeep.
We sold our horse because we could no longer afford its upkeep.
Recent Examples on the Web
Dedicated to the upkeep of the park and welfare of our canines, our chat had never indulged in politics before.
—
Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
The logo and remodel plan were two parts of a much bigger overhaul that includes menu changes, improvements to technology and basic restaurant upkeep.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 13 Sep. 2025
Basic upkeep runs about $21,000 annually, with the Historical Society contributing $6,000 and Milwaukee County covering the rest, according to Historical Society correspondence.
—Adrienne Davis, jsonline.com, 11 Sep. 2025
They are done with all of their (upkeep), as far as being up to code.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upkeep
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Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
The logo and remodel plan were two parts of a much bigger overhaul that includes menu changes, improvements to technology and basic restaurant upkeep.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 13 Sep. 2025
Basic upkeep runs about $21,000 annually, with the Historical Society contributing $6,000 and Milwaukee County covering the rest, according to Historical Society correspondence.
—Adrienne Davis, jsonline.com, 11 Sep. 2025
They are done with all of their (upkeep), as far as being up to code.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upkeep
Cite this Entry
“Upkeep.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upkeep. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
upkeep
noun
up·keep
ˈəp-ˌkēp 
: the act or cost of maintaining in good condition : maintenance
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