keep 1 of 2

1
as in to celebrate
to mark with an appropriate practice, rite, or ceremony keep the Sabbath by not working

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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as in to store
to place somewhere for safekeeping or ready availability I keep extra toothbrushes for unexpected overnight guests

Synonyms & Similar Words

5
as in to maintain
to pay the living expenses of agreed to keep both of their children in off-campus housing until they graduated and found jobs

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keep

2 of 2

noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word keep different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of keep are celebrate, commemorate, and observe. While all these words mean "to notice or honor a day, occasion, or deed," keep stresses the idea of not neglecting or violating.

kept the Sabbath by refraining from work

Where would celebrate be a reasonable alternative to keep?

While in some cases nearly identical to keep, celebrate suggests acknowledging an occasion by festivity.

traditionally celebrates Thanksgiving with a huge dinner

When might commemorate be a better fit than keep?

In some situations, the words commemorate and keep are roughly equivalent. However, commemorate suggests that an occasion is marked by observances that remind one of the origin and significance of the event.

commemorate Memorial Day with the laying of wreaths

When is it sensible to use observe instead of keep?

Although the words observe and keep have much in common, observe suggests marking the occasion by ceremonious performance.

not all holidays are observed nationally

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
Verb
County officials announced new lease terms on June 26, with both Bengals and county officials praising the deal that will keep the Bengals in Cincinnati in exchange for stadium renovations. Erin Glynn, The Enquirer, 9 July 2025 But there are still lingering worries about how long Amazon and Apple will keep movies in theaters before sending them to streaming. Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 9 July 2025
Noun
The Pacers are lucky to be that close considering the keep giving the ball away. Greg Rosenstein, NBC news, 6 June 2025 So keep your piehole shut and go out and play football and earn your keep and earn your respect. Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for keep
Recent Examples of Synonyms for keep
Verb
  • The pillar artwork features a waving Pope Leo XIV along with a picture from the TV broadcast of the future pope sitting with good Schmit and his grandson, Eddie. Members of the 2005 team are in Chicago this weekend to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the championship run.
    Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 13 July 2025
  • The wrestling world just celebrated the 27th anniversary of Goldberg’s first world title win over Hulk Hogan on the July 6, 1998 broadcast of Nitro.
    Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025
Verb
  • The sponsor retains responsibility for the content and holds the copyright to their material.
    Rowan Briggs, Mercury News, 10 July 2025
  • But whatever her deal, the chibi-like iteration of Pauline retains her powerful singing voice.
    Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 10 July 2025
Verb
  • Trump was elected to fulfill certain promises on immigration.
    W. James Antle III, The Washington Examiner, 12 July 2025
  • The subpoenas are part of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department and the White House to fulfill President Donald Trump’s promises to curtail pediatric gender care.
    Azeen Ghorayshi, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2025
Verb
  • Ask for explicit details on where your data will be processed and stored, whether the vendor brings in other third parties, like infrastructure or analytics providers, and what controls are in place for cross-border data transfers.
    Khash Kiani, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
  • The friend stored the documents in their attic, but the debtor died before retrieving them.
    Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 July 2025
Verb
  • The pilot struggled to maintain the plane on a heading and climb, a preliminary report said.
    Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 9 July 2025
  • One of Swarbrick’s final maneuvers as athletic director before stepping down was renewing the NBC contract through the 2029 season, believed to be lucrative enough to maintain Notre Dame’s independence.
    Pete Sampson, New York Times, 9 July 2025
Verb
  • The same cut also manages to lead all of the following half-dozen genre-specific lists: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs, R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales, Hot Rap Songs, Rap Streaming Songs, and the Rap Digital Song Sales rankings.
    Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
  • While Bravo's Real Housewives franchise has never managed to break into this category, Hulu's Housewives-esque docusoap — which follows a group of very messy Mormon wives and mothers — earned a nomination after only being on for two seasons.
    EW.com, EW.com, 15 July 2025
Verb
  • The Big Ten and SEC control what the next CFP format looks like.
    Chris Vannini, New York Times, 10 July 2025
  • The Myth Of Control Has Expired For most of modern history, education was designed around one idea: Institutions control the content, the pacing, the credentials and the future.
    Alex Goryachev, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
Verb
  • Applying a daily sunscreen can help protect your skin from UV rays.
    Sherri Gordon, Health, 15 July 2025
  • The formula blends potent ingredients—edelweiss native cells, niacinamide, and ginger root extract—to strengthen hair fibers, protecting against mechanical damage caused by frequent brushing or styling.
    Kiana Murden, Vogue, 15 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Keep.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/keep. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.

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