keep up

verb

Definition of keep upnext
1
as in to survive
to continue to operate or to meet one's needs let's hope that old air conditioner keeps up through this heat wave

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to preserve
to keep in good condition kept the house up while the owners were gone

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to remain
to remain indefinitely in existence or in the same state let's hope this beautiful weather keeps up for the rest of our vacation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of keep up And, as the crowd chuckled at that one, Vinatieri kept up the roast. — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 8 Aug. 2026 In a better world, parents would be able to trust the government not only to monitor existing threats, but to keep up with new science and adjust accordingly. — Corinne Low, Time, 7 Aug. 2026 Any fintech that underestimates the importance of compliance will struggle to keep up as regulations evolve quickly. — Zaki Farooq, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 In Arizona, for example, construction companies are trying to keep up with growth while grappling with a shortage of workers. — Jason St. Angelo, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for keep up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for keep up
  1. survive
  2. preserve
  3. remain
  4. last
  5. conserve
  6. continue
  7. prevail
  8. maintain
Verb
  • An experienced professional can keep the same title for years while AI gradually assumes the very tasks that once demonstrated expertise, so the position survives even as the activities that once made the work feel meaningful begin to disappear.
    — Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Praveen is not the only non-Jew trying to ensure the community's culture survives.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of survive
Verb
  • Mandarin Oriental’s arrival in 2006 protected and restored the interiors, while consulting with Conservation Authority archaeologists to preserve any historic findings.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The superstar has collected contemporary art for most of his adult life, but his passion is for preserving the work of Black artists.
    — Jewel Wicker, Architectural Digest, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of preserve
Verb
  • Drizzle with remaining chili crisp solids and/or additional chili crisp, if desired.
    — Kate Williams, AJC.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The escalating tally underscores how far the two sides remain from resolving a crisis that has choked the Strait of Hormuz for more than five months.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of remain
Verb
  • There is also an insurgency in the country’s northeast that has lasted more than a decade.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Some measures lasted several weeks; others, like California’s, stretched on for months.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of last
Verb
  • Our future depends on whether this ambition is used to reinforce a now-maladaptive status quo, or to evolve, adapt, and conserve as so many among us are already doing.
    — John Vaillant, Time, 8 Aug. 2026
  • To conserve the canal's water resources, the Panama Canal may soon impose stricter vessel weight restrictions.
    — , CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of conserve
Verb
  • But Kyne cautions against complacency, as bycatch in fisheries, expanding agricultural development and proposals to extract freshwater from northern rivers continue to threaten the nursery habitats young sawfish depend on.
    — Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • With a $305 million expansion at its waterfront campus in Groton, Fairview is nearly tripling in size and becoming one of the larger continuing life care communities in Connecticut.
    — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of continue
Verb
  • Delicate Japanese simplicity prevails while leaving whispers of the original French palatial style—such as distinctive moldings that are unique to the building.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • In all nine districts, whoever wins the primary is favored to prevail in November.
    — Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of prevail
Verb
  • One of the few is Andie MacDowell, who’s maintained curly hair throughout her entire career, nonetheless.
    — Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Rheinmetall Goldman analysts continue to maintain a positive stance on Rheinmetall , predicting a potential upside of 102% over the next 12 months.
    — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of maintain

Browse Nearby Words

keep to
keep up
keep up (with)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Keep up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/keep%20up. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on keep up

Nglish: Translation of keep up for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All