keep time
idiom
1
of a watch or clock
: to show the correct time
My watch keeps good/perfect time.
2
music
: to perform music at the correct speed
Among other things, the conductor helps the orchestra keep time (to the music).
Examples of keep time in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Atomic clocks keep time using the steady oscillations of atoms.
—
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2025
Composers led their own songs at the convention, standing in the middle of the square of singers and beating their arms up and down to keep time.
—Lucy Grindon, NPR, 25 Sep. 2025
However, this 21 days is with casual use, meaning just wearing the watch to keep time and receive notifications, not actively doing exercise tracking daily.
—Ben Sin, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
That a gene called period helps our bodies keep time — and that disruptions to that internal clock can lead to jet lag and increased risk for neurological and metabolic diseases.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for keep time
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Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2025
Composers led their own songs at the convention, standing in the middle of the square of singers and beating their arms up and down to keep time.
—Lucy Grindon, NPR, 25 Sep. 2025
However, this 21 days is with casual use, meaning just wearing the watch to keep time and receive notifications, not actively doing exercise tracking daily.
—Ben Sin, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
That a gene called period helps our bodies keep time — and that disruptions to that internal clock can lead to jet lag and increased risk for neurological and metabolic diseases.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for keep time
Cite this Entry
“Keep time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/keep%20time. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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