What does keep mean

Crossword clues for keep

keep

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

keep

I.verb

COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES

avoid/keep off/stay off a subject (=not talk about it)

▪ I knew he was trying to avoid the subject of drugs.

▪ She hoped that Anna would keep off the subject of Luke for the next few hours.

be held/kept in custody

▪ The men have been held in custody since they were arrested.

control/keep your temper

▪ She tried to speak calmly and control her temper.

get/keep the weight off (=become or stay thinner)

▪ I changed my eating habits so I'd keep the weight off.

get/keep things moving

▪ The plan should boost employment and get things moving in the economy.

get/keep your weight down (=become thinner or stay thin)

▪ How can I keep my weight down?

get/keep/stay ahead

▪ Getting ahead at work is the most important thing to her at the moment.

have/keep etc your eyes glued to sth (=be watching something with all your attention)

▪ Ted sat with his eyes glued to the television.

have/keep sb in stitches (=make someone laugh)

▪ Her jokes had us all in stitches.

hold/keep your nerve (=remain calm and confident in a difficult situation)

▪ The team held their nerve and went on to win.

hold/keep (yourself) aloof from sth

▪ The doctor held himself somewhat aloof from the rest of the ship’s crew.

keep a check on sb/sth (=check something regularly)

▪ Keep a check on your baby’s temperature.

keep a checklist

▪ Can you keep a checklist of what we need to buy?

keep a close eye/watch on sb/sth (=watch someone or something carefully)

▪ They have to keep a close eye on their finances.

keep a copy of sth (also retain a copy of sthformal)

▪ Did you keep a copy of the email?

keep a pet (=have one in your home)

▪ Tenants aren’t allowed to keep pets.

▪ Many species of parrot can be kept as pets.

keep a pledge (=do what you promised to do)

▪ He has not kept his election pledges.

keep a promise (also fulfil a promise British English fulfill a promise American Englishformal) (= do what you promised to do)

▪ She said she would come back, and she kept her promise.

▪ The mayor has fulfilled his promise to get tough on corruption.

keep a record

▪ Teachers keep a record of students’ progress.

keep a secret (=not tell it to anyone)

▪ Can you keep a secret?

keep a sharp lookout (=watch extra carefully)

▪ When you’re driving, keep a sharp lookout for cyclists.

keep a stiff upper lip

▪ Men were taught to keep a stiff upper lip.

keep a straight face

▪ I found it very difficult to keep a straight face.

Keep a tally of (=write down)

▪ Keep a tally of the number of cars that pass.

keep a tight grip/hold/rein on sth (=control it very firmly)

▪ The former dictator still keeps a tight grip on power.

▪ Anna was determined to keep a tight hold on her feelings.

keep a vow (=do as you promised)

▪ She kept her vow not to tell anyone about their affair.

Keep a wary eye on

▪ Keep a wary eye on the weather before you set sail.

Keep a watchful eye on

▪ Keep a watchful eye on elderly residents.

keep a watching brief on

▪ One of his responsibilities is to keep a watching brief on foreign broadcasts.

keep an appointment (=go to an appointment that you have arranged)

▪ Please let us know if you cannot keep your appointment.

keep an open mind

▪ It’s important to keep an open mind as you study the topic.

keep discipline (also maintain disciplineformal) (= make people obey the rules)

▪ A good teacher knows how to maintain discipline.

keep dry

▪ We managed to keep dry inside an old farm building.

keep fish (=have them as pets or for breeding)

▪ We used to keep tropical fish when I was young.

keep fit

▪ I swim twice a week to try and keep fit.

keep fit

keep hold of sth (=hold something without letting go)

▪ I had to run to keep hold of the leather strap.

keep inflation down (=keep it at a low level)

▪ These policies will help to keep inflation down.

keep pace with inflation (=be at the same level as inflation)

▪ Salaries have not kept pace with inflation.

keep sb awake

▪ The noise of the airplanes kept me awake.

keep sb company (=be with someone so that they do not feel lonely)

▪ Mum was out so I stayed at home to keep my younger sister company.

keep sb out of mischief (=prevent someone from causing trouble)

▪ Playing football helps keep him out of mischief.

keep sb under observation (=closely watch someone or something over a period of time)

▪ The doctor ordered that the patient be kept under observation.

keep sb waiting

▪ He kept us waiting for half an hour.

keep (sb/sth) afloat/stay afloat

▪ The Treasury borrowed £40 billion, just to stay afloat.

keep (sb/sth) afloat/stay afloat

▪ Somehow we kept the ship afloat.

keep sb’s spirits up (=keep them feeling happy)

▪ He wrote home often, trying to keep his family’s spirits up.

keep sth clean

▪ You should always keep your kitchen clean.

keep sth darkBritish English (= keep something secret)

▪ Apparently, he has a son, but he’s kept that very dark.

keep sth in perspective

▪ I hope we can all keep this issue in perspective.

keep sth shut

▪ When it’s so hot, we keep the doors and windows shut and put on the air conditioner.

keep sth simple

▪ Keep your explanation as simple as possible.

keep sth to a minimum (=to keep something at a low level)

▪ Keep the noise to a minimum, will you?

keep sth under review (=continue to review it)

▪ He recommended that the matter should be kept under review.

keep sth/get sth back on an even keel

▪ Now that the crisis is over, we must try to get things back on an even keel.

Keep still

▪ Keep still while I tie your shoe.

keep the engine running

▪ You shouldn’t keep the engine running when the car is standing still.

keep the momentum going (also sustain the momentumformal) (= keep being successful)

▪ Hopefully we can keep the momentum going and win the next game as well.

keep things ticking over

▪ Jane will keep things ticking over while I’m away.

keep to the path

▪ They kept carefully to the paths and did not go across the farmer's fields.

keep to/stick to a plan

▪ We’re sticking to our original plan.

keep up a commentary (=give one continuously)

▪ Attenborough kept up a running commentary on the animals' movements.

keep up the pace (=continue to do something or happen as quickly as before)

▪ China's society is transforming but can it keep up the pace?

keep up with demand (also keep pace with demand) (= satisfy the demand)

▪ Public funding for higher education has not kept up with demand.

keep up with fashion (=make sure that you know about the most recent fashions)

▪ Lucy likes to keep up with the latest fashions.

keep up with the pace (=do something as fast as something else is happening or being done)

▪ It's essential that we constantly update our skills and keep up with the pace of change.

keep up/maintain a pretence (=keep pretending that you are doing something or that something is true)

▪ She kept up the pretence that her husband had died in order to claim the insurance money.

keep up/maintain morale (=keep morale high)

▪ It was becoming difficult to keep up the morale of the troops.

keep within a budget (=spend only the money that is available)

▪ Further cuts are needed in order to keep within the budget.

keep your balance (=stay steady)

▪ The sea was so rough that it was hard to keep your balance.

keep your eyes open (=prevent them from closing)

▪ I was so tired I could hardly keep my eyes open.

keep your gaze (fixed) on sb/sth (=keep looking at someone or something)

▪ I kept my gaze fixed on the television and didn’t look at him as he left the room.

keep your mind on the job/task in/at hand

▪ Making notes is the best way of keeping your mind on the task at hand.

keep your opinions to yourself (=not say what you really think)

▪ As the youngest person there, I knew enough to keep my opinions to myself.

keep your voice down (=not speak loudly)

▪ Keep your voice down, they’ll hear you!

Keep...advised of (=continue to tell us about)

▪ Keep us advised of any new developments.

keep...apart

▪ The police try to keep rival supporters apart at all matches.

keep/bring sb up-to-date (=to give someone all the newest information about something)

▪ Our magazine will keep you up-to-date with fashion.

keep/bring sth up-to-date (=to make something more modern)

▪ The old system should be brought up-to-date.

keep...busy

▪ There were lots of activities to keep the kids busy.

keep...confidential

▪ Doctors are required to keep patients’ records completely confidential.

keep...footing

▪ Seb struggled to keep his footing on the slippery path.

keep/get (sth) in trim

▪ If you want to get in trim for summer, try aerobics.

▪ My job was to keep the garden in trim.

keep...handy

▪ I always keep my gun handy just in case.

keep...happy

▪ I pretended to agree with her, just to keep her happy.

keep/have your wits about you (=be ready to think quickly and do what is necessary in a difficult situation)

keep/hold onto a seat (also retain a seatformal) (= not lose it in an election)

▪ He is unlikely to retain his seat after next year's election.

▪ Labour managed to hold the seat, but with a reduced majority.

keep/hold yourself aloof (from sb)

▪ She had always kept herself aloof from the boys in class.

keep/honour an agreement (also stick to an agreementinformal) (= do what you have agreed)

▪ It’s important to keep to your student loan agreement.

keep...in reserve

▪ We always keep some money in reserve, just in case.

keep...in working order

▪ the amount of exercise needed to keep your body in working order

keeping schtum

▪ The boss of the failed company is keeping schtum about his role in the disaster.

keeping score (=making a record of the score)

▪ Is anybody keeping score?

keeping tight control on

▪ The government is keeping tight control on immigration.

keeping...fingers crossed

▪ We’re keeping our fingers crossed that she’s going to be OK.

keep...journal

▪ He decided to keep a journal.

keep/leave your options open (=to not limit what you can choose to do later)

▪ Studying a broad range of subjects helps to keep your options open.

keep/leave your options open

▪ Officers investigating her death are keeping their options open.

keep/maintain a balance

▪ Try to keep a balance between your spending and your earnings.

▪ A firm must strive to maintain a balance between business and financial risk.

keep/maintain your composure (=stay calm)

▪ The widow broke down in tears, but her daughters maintained their composure.

keep...occupied

▪ The museum has enough exhibits to keep anyone occupied for an hour or two.

keep...open

▪ I was so sleepy, I couldn’t keep my eyes open.

keep...open

▪ We try to keep the mountain roads open all through the winter.

keep/put sb on their mettle

▪ This was just his way of keeping me on my mettle.

keep/put sth in a safe place

▪ Keep your credit cards in a safe place.

keep/remain active

▪ We try to keep the patients active by taking them for a daily walk.

keep/retain a sense of sth

▪ Throughout it all she retained her sense of fun.

keep/retain customers

▪ Keeping prices low helps to retain customers.

keep...safe

▪ Make sure you keep these documents safe.

Keep...separate

▪ Keep the fish separate from the other food.

keep...separate

▪ He tries to keep his professional life completely separate from his private life.

keeps...grounded

▪ Simmons says that her family keeps her grounded.

keeps...hidden

▪ She keeps a bottle of gin hidden behind a stack of books.

keeps...log

▪ The captain always keeps a log.

keep/stand guard (over sb/sth)

▪ Gunmen stood guard at the camp entrance.

keep/stay away from an area

▪ The police ordered people to stay away from the area.

keep/stay cool

▪ his ability to keep cool in a crisis

keep/stay in shape

▪ She’s bought an exercise bike to keep in shape.

keep/stay out of mischief (=not do things that cause trouble etc)

▪ Can I trust you to stay our of mischief for half an hour?

keep/stay warm (=wear enough clothes not to feel cold)

▪ Make sure you keep warm!

keeps...together

▪ Sometimes I don’t know what keeps us together.

keep...tidy

▪ I try to keep the garden tidy.

keep...under control

▪ The Federal Reserve Bank raised interest rates to keep inflation under control.

keep...warm

▪ I’ve put your dinner in the oven to keep it warm.

keep/write a diary (=write regularly in a diary)

▪ While I was travelling, I kept a diary every day.

kept a tight hold on

▪ His mother kept a tight hold on his hand.

kept alive

▪ He was kept alive on a life-support machine.

kept in quarantine

▪ The monkeys were kept in quarantine for 31 days.

kept in the dark

▪ College officials were kept in the dark about the investigation.

kept myself occupied

▪ I kept myself occupied by watching television.

kept on standby

▪ A special team of police were kept on standby.

kept open house

▪ He kept open house for a wide range of artists and writers.

kept quiet

▪ I didn’t know anything about it so I just kept quiet.

kept under control

▪ Dogs are allowed on the trails if they are kept under control.

kept under surveillance

▪ The suspects were kept under surveillance.

kept woman

kept...in clover

▪ The money kept him in clover for years.

kept...in contention

▪ Owen’s goal kept England in contention.

kept...in suspense

▪ They kept us in suspense for over two hours.

kept...secret from

▪ They kept their relationship secret from their parents.

kept...vigil

▪ Eva and Paul kept a constant vigil by their daughter’s hospital bedside.

make/keep a video diary

▪ The group decided to make a video diary of the cycling trip.

meet/keep up the payments (on sth) (=be able to make regular payments)

▪ He was having trouble meeting the interest payments.

preserve/record/keep etc sth for posterity

▪ a priceless work of art that must be kept for posterity

remain/stay/keep calm

▪ I tried to stay calm and just ignore him.

remain/stay/keep silent

▪ She kept silent, forcing Buchanan to continue.

run/keep a tight ship (=manage a company, organization etc strictly and effectively)

stay/keep close

▪ We must all stay close.

stay/keep in contact (also maintain contactformal)

▪ We’ve stayed in contact since we met on holiday.

stay/keep in touch (=keep writing or talking, even though you do not see each other often)

▪ Anyway, we must stay in touch.

▪ I met him when I worked in Madrid, and I’ve kept in touch with him ever since.

stay/keep/remain awake

▪ I was tired and it was hard to stay awake.

stay/remain/keep solvent

▪ I don’t know how we managed to remain solvent.

worth keeping in mind

▪ Floor tiles can be difficult to clean – worth keeping in mind when you choose a new floor.

COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS

■ ADVERB

▪ Even Jimmy Savile, the man who helped bring them here, couldn't keep up with them.

▪ They talked so fast that their interrogators had trouble keeping up.

▪ Bill Strachan, its second owner, is keeping up the policy of good beer.

▪ I had trouble keeping up with him.

▪ Of course, that does mean keeping up your daily reading of newspapers and magazines and maintaining contact with journalists.

▪ Some one gets ill or injured, or taunts a security guard, or keeps up serious noise all night long.

▪ In fact, it was hard for her to keep up her end of the conversation.

▪ Always important to keep up, you know.

■ NOUN

balance

▪ Because they were walking downhill her limp was making her awkward and she linked arms with him to keep her balance.

▪ A pitcher throws to different parts of the plate, trying to keep the hitter off balance.

▪ As the bridge sways, people's feet exert sideways forces on it to keep their balance.

▪ I prayed that they would keep their balance.

▪ The lights changed and the truck pulled off with Chase trying to keep his balance and looking thoroughly bemused.

▪ To keep a balance of atmosphere, excess carbon dioxide needed to be removed by chemical filters.

▪ You sit on the saddle and try and keep your balance and hold on to the handlebars.

▪ Your endocrine system also keeps you in balance and maintains your readiness to respond to internal and external stressors.

check

▪ They kept a check on all our activities.

▪ But it was rookie Coach Ray Rhodes who gets the most credit for keeping the team in check.

▪ Hearts had marginally more possession but were kept in check by an Airdrie team expert at preventing their opponents from playing.

▪ Mulch plants each spring with straw to conserve moisture and keep weeds in check.

▪ But for his weakness and vacillation, peasant unrest and working-class militancy could have been kept in check by efficient and unwavering repression.

▪ The wife tried to keep a check on him.

control

▪ It was like when she was eight, and Dead Daddy put her on Hero-9 to keep her under control.

▪ If kept under control by regular mechanical cleaning of excess algae, they are often a positive addition to the tank.

▪ Some of this was done no doubt to keep control in choppy political waters.

▪ I kept control until the car had overtaken and was out of sight.

▪ But it was men who helped Republicans keep control of Congress.

▪ The scene might have been absorbing had I not been fighting to keep control of the wheelbarrow.

▪ Margret Rey, who kept tight control over the vast franchise, died just before Christmas at the age of 90.

diary

▪ I am finding it difficult to keep up this diary knowing you are away.

▪ But Ickes says he dared not keep such a diary because it might have been subpoenaed.

▪ But if you keep your on-line appointments diary up to date, a calendar on the network can compare everyone's schedules.

▪ Each day we are to keep a diary.

▪ If no obvious dramas have occurred, suggest your child keeps a diary which indicates dry or wet nights.

▪ He spun an hour every day and kept a diary.

▪ He kept his diaries for a record that would be published subsequent to the meetings.

▪ She kept no diary in 1908.

distance

▪ He'd laughed at her, teased her, and succeeded in keeping her at a distance.

▪ This was why he kept his distance.

▪ I walk along and she keeps pace and distance.

▪ It is easy to see it now in the way labor has kept its distance from the plant-closing movement.

▪ In Por Tanssie, the vibrancers had always been instructed to keep a certain distance between them.

▪ Knowing how easily she could erupt, they kept their distance.

▪ No ulterior motive lurks behind it, but it keeps you at a distance.

▪ She kept her distance from me because she feared others would think me to be her offspring.

eye

▪ I decided that I would keep an eye on Tom after that.

▪ But still, I kept my eyes fixed on the floor, refusing to return his gaze.

▪ Ask a neighbour to keep an eye on your house.

▪ And would-be self-improvers among adults need only keep one eye on the checklist to produce an acceptable composition.

▪ When he spoke at the exhibition, Vivien stood the whole time, keeping her eyes fixed upon his face.

▪ Wade tried to keep his eyes level.

▪ I couldn't keep my eyes open, I felt as if I was suffocating in a warm fug of words.

▪ He claps and yells and paces and turns his back, and still keeps constant eye contact with manager Tom Lasorda.

peace

▪ But Kate knew when enough was enough so she kept her peace.

▪ The police replied that local authorities could keep peace.

▪ Chamfer's easy confidence, and benign but firm manner, had often kept the peace in the Westside and Barrow Vale.

▪ But he went out of his way to keep peace with retirees.

▪ The judges extrapolated it from the fact that constables hold office under the Crown and are sworn to keep the peace.

▪ We have always kept the peace.

▪ Attempting to keep the semblance of peace, of ordinariness, he had, he now realized, sacrificed Katherine.

▪ The leaders of the Basque and Navarrese communities swore that they would keep the peace and allow pilgrims to pass unmolested.

promise

▪ She said she wanted to keep a promise to her husband that she would spend more time with the family.

▪ Large global organizations are unable to keep their promises to provide these benefits.

▪ He had kept his promise to Lais.

▪ A resignation would force open the debate and make Dini keep his promise to quit, the Alliance argued.

▪ Jessamy had promised faithfully not to open them until the morning of her birthday, and she had kept her promise.

▪ A child might need to be prodded or compelled to keep a promise, or simply pressured to do a job well.

▪ If he didn't keep his promise there was no knowing what Lee would do.

▪ If you promise not to tell something, keep your promise or renegotiate with them.

record

▪ Many hospitals did not keep accurate records and some did not provide figures, the inquiry found.

▪ The hostesses keep a record of what they eat, and the drinking is easily accounted for.

▪ Law enforcement authorities simply keep a record of a low-risk offender.

▪ In addition, the computer would run reading and diagnostic tests, offer remedial programmes and keep complete records of child attainment.

▪ Ask them to keep a record of. the materials they tried and the results.

▪ In order for reading to progress, we had to keep records and list the pages read each day.

▪ Joe kept records of his stills photography and checked through the medical supplies.

secret

▪ Most humans are not very good at keeping secrets.

▪ I had stumbled on to what may be the worst-kept secret in Annapolis area dining.

▪ William Right-so-can you all keep a secret?

▪ You must keep this letter secret otherwise my life will be in danger.

▪ The public key is used to decrypt information at the receiver and is not kept secret.

▪ But 50-year-old Thaw has gone to extreme lengths to keep his location secret and has turned into a virtual recluse.

▪ The Sphinx could keep his secret, we decided.

watch

▪ She lies there in the dark, with her eyes open, keeping watch.

▪ I told my friend Bridget it was up to us to keep watch.

▪ Philpot, scheduled to run in the last heat of the day, kept checking her watch and jiggling her legs.

▪ It is important, none the less, to keep a careful watch on progress.

▪ I found a convenient spot to keep watch from, and turned the glass down upon the water.

▪ It was his job to keep watch through the night, but boredom and tiredness had taken over.

▪ Glover decided to keep watch for them anyway, so he could explain to the hired ones that the deal was off.

PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

(keep your) chin up!

▪ Keep your chin up! We'll get through this together!

be/go/keep on about sth

▪ And they don't go on about his obvious flaws, like him being a doctor and having three dozen girlfriends.

▪ Everyone goes on about Cher's dresses, showing her navel.

▪ However, this is the party that goes on about unemployment as though it had a good record on unemployment.

▪ It sounded stupid the way she went on about loving the sea.

▪ It went on about 15 minutes too long.

▪ The first I knew about it was Malcolm going on about rubber.

▪ This made him wary as he went on about his chores and tried not to let Lucky see him.

▪ Why do I go on about this, I wonder.

be/go/keep on at sb

▪ A strike has been going on at the mine for over three months and the nine who died were all non-union men.

▪ But what's going on at No. 4 and No. 8 are free rides, nothing less.

▪ Funny stuff going on at the Olympics.

▪ He had a bad leg and they kept on at him to hurry up.

▪ I must say I was not totally happy about her going on at Yeo Davis, with me in the government.

▪ Something must be going on at school.

▪ There was some spitting going on at the end of the game.

▪ You used to go on at me about getting out.

be/keep regular

▪ A successful maintenance routine should be regular but not too often.

▪ Note that if you go for the unfiltered system, water changes must be regular.

▪ People who keep regular diaries find that the records become a source of motivation.

▪ There should be regular surveys of the long-term expenditure implications of current and proposed policies.

▪ These might be regular if there is not overtaking but random if there is unlimited overtaking, quite different patterns.

▪ They should be regular, with easily visible treads.

▪ To be effective, exercise must be regular and brisk.

▪ Whatever method is adopted, there should be regular reference to time-charts or time-lines.

be/keep/stay etc in touch (with sth)

▪ But Letitia stayed in touch, and together, sadly as it turned out, they had found family member Number Three.

▪ EASY-TO-USE Paging is a simple but fast way to keep in touch.

▪ I want you to stay in touch.

▪ Lots of traveling dads and moms are now using e-mail to stay in touch.

▪ One friend, a lawyer, swears by e-mail because it helps her keep in touch with far-flung friends.

▪ The idea was to hang together, keep in touch with the audience and maybe make a few bucks.

▪ They had been classmates as undergraduates at City College of New York and had always stayed in touch.

▪ We may have to be in touch again.

be/keep/stay one step ahead (of sb)

▪ It was a constant struggle to stay one step ahead of thrift regulators in Washington.

▪ Money With better management of resources you will be able to stay one step ahead.

▪ The reason Chappy is moving around so much is to keep one step ahead I suppose.

▪ We don't want to sell him but we have to keep one step ahead.

bear/keep sb/sth in mind

▪ Bobcat. Keep that in mind.

▪ But they keep Soviet might in mind, however remote the threat now seems.

▪ If he had ... no conclusions yet, just bear it in mind.

▪ It is important to bear this in mind in any study of the role of school governors in meeting special educational needs.

▪ It is important to keep your audience in mind when writing a report.

▪ They might bear that in mind.

▪ To keep it in mind, at all costs.

▪ We've got to bear it in mind.

get/have/keep your foot in the door

get/keep your eye in

▪ Even after his second wife left him in 1991, Thurmond has kept his eye in practice.

▪ It all helps to get your eye in and is far better than trying to rely on memory.

have/keep both feet on the ground

▪ She's really creative, but she also has her feet firmly on the ground.

▪ So I guess inversely he taught me the need to be prepared and keep both feet on the ground.

have/keep your beady eye(s) on sb/sth

have/keep your eye on sb

▪ As I told you, I have my eyes on a very different sort of market.

▪ He kept his eyes on Ezra, surveying him.

▪ He kept his eyes on his father, who had betrayed him.

▪ His face had grown serious, and he kept his eyes on the road.

▪ I kept my eyes on it the whole time, he wrote.

▪ It was not only Percy Makepeace who kept his eyes on Hilary.

▪ Mulcahey kept his eyes on the circles that widened out from the pebbles he dropped into the water.

▪ We have to keep our eyes on the sandy path.

have/keep your finger on the pulse (of sth)

hold/keep your end up

▪ It helped them keep their end up in battle, too, claim historians.

▪ It is difficult to get skips in this age group capable of keeping their end up at this level of competition.

▪ Richter kept his end up by arranging a press visit to Huemul Island on 21 June, 1951.

hold/keep your peace

▪ And since the credit accrued to him, he held his peace.

▪ But Kate knew when enough was enough so she kept her peace.

▪ But she held her peace and waited for the miracle.

▪ Colonel Fergusson nodded indulgently at such pertness and obstinacy, but held his peace.

▪ Gorbachev, like any husband in his circumstances, kept his peace.

▪ No, better to hold her peace and pretend.

▪ So I decide to hold my peace for a little while longer.

▪ Why did he want to hold his peace?

in keeping (with sth)

▪ At the same time, we would be helped in keeping our reserves strong. 3.

▪ But it is the rear-view binocular field which is of particular use in keeping the rabbit safe.

▪ FiltrationA filter is of great help in keeping water free of suspended material, but it does not alleviate a polluted condition.

▪ Here the dislike serves a useful purpose in keeping the family as an isolated unit.

▪ That's because the evidence for the role of those two substances in keeping macular degeneration at bay is stronger.

▪ The agent also has a vested interest in keeping the event's costs at a minimum.

▪ The federal army in the South, in keeping with the 1877 Compromise, largely ignored instances of racial violence.

▪ Thomases has denied any role in keeping investigators at bay.

in sb's keeping

keep (close) tabs on sb/sth

▪ He keeps tabs on everyone in the building.

▪ A psychologist will keep tabs on teams of youngsters and will stop the operation if they show signs of stress.

▪ About the world Lenny Wilkens has been keeping tabs on world events, and one thing is clear.

▪ Although so little was heard from them, those who kept tabs on them were convinced that they were slowly fading away.

▪ Anne Dickson, a local politician, said people had been keeping tabs on Hamilton for years.

▪ But trappers will keep tabs on the extra traps until February, officials said.

▪ If she asked, he would accuse her of nagging, of wanting to keep tabs on him.

▪ They patrol land and keep tabs on the gangs after tip offs from gamekeepers and farmers.

▪ We try to keep close tabs on our boys in blue.

keep a civil tongue in your head

keep a lookout

▪ Soldiers kept a lookout for enemy planes through the night.

▪ And send a couple of your boys up here to keep a lookout.

▪ From his present position, Larsen would be better placed to keep a lookout for trouble and provide backup.

▪ Then, with a watchful eye, it can keep a lookout for potential prey without revealing its presence.

keep a low profile

▪ Many of the exiles have married, taken jobs, and generally kept a low profile.

▪ She's keeping a low profile until the scandal is forgotten.

▪ Western visitors to the region are asked to keep a low profile.

▪ Apple kept a low profile for the first few days of the conference, making no major announcements or product introductions.

▪ But since then they have kept a low profile and not made their findings public.

▪ During the event Clinton will keep a low profile.

▪ I decided to keep a low profile, after all I was a guest.

▪ Kendall keeps a low profile, refusing to grant on-the-record interviews with the news media.

▪ Like every really smart lobbyist, Boggs knows the importance of being subtle and of keeping a low profile.

▪ There was nothing she could do about it, other than keep a low profile and stay well out of his way.

▪ With police apparently keeping a low profile, the violence intensified during the night.

keep a low profile

▪ Apple kept a low profile for the first few days of the conference, making no major announcements or product introductions.

▪ But since then they have kept a low profile and not made their findings public.

▪ During the event Clinton will keep a low profile.

▪ I decided to keep a low profile, after all I was a guest.

▪ Kendall keeps a low profile, refusing to grant on-the-record interviews with the news media.

▪ Like every really smart lobbyist, Boggs knows the importance of being subtle and of keeping a low profile.

▪ There was nothing she could do about it, other than keep a low profile and stay well out of his way.

▪ With police apparently keeping a low profile, the violence intensified during the night.

keep a sharp eye on sb

▪ Security guards kept a sharp eye on Mattson as he walked through the store.

▪ As a teen-ager, I kept a sharp eye on who was winning the prizes I wanted: Honor Roll.

▪ I keep a sharp eye on him.

keep a straight face

▪ "I think I've lost that camera you lent me," I said, trying to keep a straight face.

▪ Barbara tried to keep a straight face, but in the end she just couldn't help laughing.

▪ He looked so ridiculous -- I don't know how I managed to keep a straight face.

▪ She looked so ridiculous it was hard to keep a straight face.

▪ When reading some of the competition entries, it was hard to keep a straight face.

▪ With a completely straight face, Thomas announced he was joining the Girl Guides.

▪ For the first hundred yards we keep straight faces.

▪ How can you say that and keep a straight face?

▪ I keep a straight face and the composure of a chemist dispensing a prescription.

▪ I try and keep a straight face, but I can't help grinning at myself.

▪ It was very difficult to keep a straight face.

▪ The old trick of keeping a straight face was failing him these days.

keep a tight rein on sb/sth

keep a watch out for sb/sth

keep a weather eye on sth

▪ Both, for different reasons, kept weather eyes on the cloning work.

▪ They dabble in composites, and keep a weather eye on the developments made by the small specialists.

▪ This lets you keep a weather eye on your finances.

keep a/the lid on sth

▪ A flurry of fists and boots followed as local referee Ignacio Silva struggled to keep the lid on.

▪ Additionally, falling prices for key commodities, like copper, are keeping a lid on most manufacturing costs.

▪ All this will combine to keep the lid on prices.

▪ He apparently hoped this would keep the lid on the operation.

▪ In the meantime, Father Glynn hoped that Jim Maier could keep a lid on the place.

▪ Support the possibility of keeping a lid on tax increases.

▪ Unlike Anthony, Geoffrey could keep a lid on his temper.

▪ Up with the lark and wanting to get out of town, I have to keep the lid on my impatience.

keep an eye on sth/sb

▪ But they can still learn a remarkable amount by keeping an eye on the east.

▪ He said Kaczynski would keep an eye on his property.

▪ I decided that I would keep an eye on Tom after that.

▪ Mark: No, but the doctor is keeping an eye on her.&.

▪ Meanwhile we shall keep an eye on him.

▪ The doctor thought it best if she checked into a small, private facility where he could keep an eye on her.

▪ Those with Internet access should keep an eye on a series of Usenet discussion groups that cater to Windows 95 issues.

▪ You keep an eye on her, and me or Nanny Ogg will drop in when we can.

keep an eye open/out (for sb/sth)

▪ Always keeping an eye out in case of thieves.

▪ And we had to keep an eye open for police patrols.

▪ For months, he kept an eye out.

▪ He will keep an eye out, but he can not promise anything.

▪ Male speaker All you got to do is keep an eye open and watch the break lights.

▪ Though he works hard with all the kids, he keeps an eye out for the special ones.

▪ Valueoriented consumers should keep an eye out for the name FabreMontmayou.

keep body and soul together

▪ Struggling peasants they'd be for the most part, trying to keep body and soul together in difficult times.

keep count

▪ Are you keeping count of how many people you've invited?

▪ After that he no longer bothered to keep count.

▪ He started taking apart the engineering of the scene, keeping count of the timing in his head.

▪ The Local kept count of the union dead.

keep faith with sb/sth

▪ The military regime has not kept faith with its promises of democratic reform.

▪ He had kept faith with the Old Man and brought them home.

▪ He was my husband, and I, wretch that I am, could not keep faith with him.

▪ Moxon's decision to drop Ashley Metcalfe and keep faith with Simon Kellett turned out to be fully justified.

▪ They were moderns, they must keep faith with their generation and not look back towards the old one.

keep house

▪ Owen's wife, Lauren, keeps house and looks after the children.

▪ For many years thereafter he stayed at home and kept house while she supported them financially.

▪ It must have seemed strange to have found herself keeping house for my grandfather and his daughters.

▪ It was hard work keeping house.

▪ Low inflation that keeps house prices from appreciating and high interest rates were blamed.

▪ She couldn't bear things like Anna refusing to keep house or giving any pleasure to herself.

▪ She enjoyed doing things like that far more than keeping house.

▪ There had been no mention of Alice going out there to keep house for him.

▪ Where keeping house and cooking were not female chores but simple tasks of pleasure and survival.

keep in close contact/touch

▪ Even after Charles married Princess Diana he kept in close contact with Camilla.

▪ He had not kept in close touch with the performers who had danced in his first little group.

▪ I am keen to keep in close touch with you on this subject.

▪ I take that point and we are keeping in close contact with local authorities.

▪ I urge my hon. Friend to keep in close touch to make sure that response times are up to the charter.

▪ In practice, I keep in close touch with the work of the foundation.

▪ The Society is keeping in close touch with the appropriate authority and full information will be published as soon as possible.

▪ To monitor their responses we have kept in close touch with each family's health visitor.

keep it real

▪ I can keep it real simple.

keep mum

▪ Far right: Septimus keeps Mum and Dad awake.

▪ In politics, as in life, truth hurts.Better to keep mum.

▪ So, darling, keep mum about where we are.

▪ That obviously includes me, so your mum's got to keep mum, chick.

▪ The grinning skull on the back of the mystery woman's jacket is keeping mum.

keep on the right side of sb

▪ But those wanting to keep on the right side of the law will have to steer clear of the grape.

▪ They were keeping on the right side of the powers that be.

keep pace (with sth/sb)

▪ An aide said the money is needed to keep pace with the cost of issuing licenses.

▪ But his lack of experience and robotic speaking style made it difficult for him to keep pace with Dole.

▪ But they still haven't kept pace with the population even though it is slowing down now.

▪ Her words were written down by recorders, whom she sometimes exhorted to write faster to keep pace with her.

▪ However, the implementation of existing directives into national law is not keeping pace with the 1992 programme.

▪ Interest rates paid on checking and passbook savings accounts failed to keep pace with inflation.

▪ Pensions and benefits had not risen to keep pace with the rate of inflation, especially in the 1970s.

▪ Purse money, however, has not kept pace.

keep perfect/good etc time

▪ But like a single gear in a mechanical clock, timeless can not keep good time all by itself.

▪ Nothing unusual - clocks behaving as before, keeping good time and continuing to emit their light beams.

▪ Running in a clump through a crowded station, like the Bash Street Kids, keeping perfect time with chant and clap.

keep sb amused

▪ Listening to the radio keeps me amused while I'm driving.

keep sb informed

▪ During the strike, the media kept the public fully informed about the situation.

▪ I want to know what you decide, so keep me informed.

▪ Parents have complained that we are not keeping them very well informed of their children's progress.

▪ Please keep me fully informed of any new developments.

▪ The doctor should be kept informed about any changes in your child's condition.

▪ We'll be keeping you informed of any new developments.

keep sb on their toes

▪ With a test every Friday, she keeps her students on their toes.

▪ And, keeping them on their toes ... the doctors who walk eighteen miles a day.

▪ He keeps them on their toes.

▪ Inflation, which depletes the value of stocks and bonds, also keeps investors on their toes.

▪ Meetings are held every nineteen days, not necessarily Sundays, which must keep people on their toes.

▪ The general use of disapproval in order to keep people on their toes tends to be counterproductive after a time.

▪ Together, these threats are supposed to discipline managers and keep them on their toes.

▪ We have improved because a few extra players have come in and the bench is outstanding which keeps everyone on their toes.

▪ You have to have good people doing these jobs, and you have to keep folks on their toes.

keep sb quiet

▪ Give the kids some crayons, that will keep them quiet for a while.

keep sb sane

keep sb sweet

keep several/too many etc balls in the air

keep sth in proportion

▪ My confidence was so low it was difficult to keep things in proportion -- the smallest problem seemed like a major tragedy.

▪ The Party's recent successes in the polls are encouraging but they need to be kept in proportion.

▪ In fact it was Jack's sense of humour that kept her feelings in proportion during the next few days.

▪ In our celebrity-obsessed society, it is nice to see some one keeping things in proportion.

▪ Work was carried on around the lump in a fairly ordered pattern helping to keep everything in proportion.

keep sth quiet/keep quiet about sth

keep sth under wraps

▪ Ford's new range of cars is being kept firmly under wraps until the Geneva auto show.

▪ It's been suggested the report was kept under wraps to avoid controversy.

▪ But in the interests of security we are keeping the information under wraps.

▪ But Micky's very careful to keep it under wraps.

▪ But officials deny they've been keeping their proposals under wraps.

▪ Now his biggest concern is keeping his excitement under wraps.

▪ The Left would like a civilian, but if there is a candidate it is keeping him under wraps.

▪ The plans are still being kept tightly under wraps, partly through the fear that Mowden might try to scupper them.

▪ There is some multimedia hardware on-board that the company is trying to keep pretty much under wraps.

▪ Which is why, if you've got a bad temper, you probably do your utmost to keep it under wraps.

keep sth under your hat

▪ Rather than wear your heart on your sleeve, you keep it under your hat.

keep the flag flying

keep the peace

▪ In the past, air support from the RAF base at Aden had been enough to keep the peace between the rival warring tribes.

▪ The President sent federal troops to Grenada to keep the peace.

▪ The U.S. is sending troops overseas again - this time to keep the peace.

▪ But for the sake of keeping the peace, it would probably be wise to use his new name.

▪ Callaghan not unreasonably claimed in his memoirs that the Tories won the Falklands War but that Labour had kept the peace.

▪ He was bound over to keep the peace by magistrates.

▪ In the past, this had sufficed to keep the peace between the rival warring tribes.

▪ On Vadinamia secrets are kept, and visitors are left strictly alone as long as they keep the peace.

▪ Some conditions, nevertheless, did contribute toward keeping the peace.

▪ The elder child may be made to give way to the demands of the younger one in order to keep the peace.

▪ The judges extrapolated it from the fact that constables hold office under the Crown and are sworn to keep the peace.

keep the wolf from the door

▪ But it was worth it to keep the wolves from the door.

▪ No sign of any more money than is needed to keep the wolf from the door.

keep up appearances

▪ For now, I can keep up appearances and still go to the same restaurants as my friends.

▪ Of course, he tries to keep up appearances, but he lives entirely off borrowed money.

▪ She put Christmas decorations in the window just to keep up appearances.

▪ A travel iron is useful for keeping up appearances on holiday.

▪ All my efforts were concentrated on keeping up appearances during those two hours of the day when I was with them.

▪ He still took care to be rude and truculent at school to keep up appearances, but the old venom had faded.

▪ Man on the move Everything a man need to keep up appearances while he's away from home.

▪ She just wanted to keep up appearances for the kids.

▪ Sometimes a mood, or a phase of the menstrual cycle, will bring about a definite aversion to keeping up appearances.

▪ They spend all they have to keep up appearances.

▪ We all have to keep up appearances while we wait for the tide to turn.

keep your cool

▪ The waitress was really busy, but she kept her cool.

▪ He should go out and have a beer with you, not just keep his cool with the unit....

▪ Instead, Dukakis kept his cool and sealed his candidacy's doom.

▪ Kick the day into action with refreshing Celsius Body Splash Opposite, below: keep your cool even when working up a sweat.

▪ One of the best tips is to keep your cool.

▪ Oxford kept their cool though and came up with a winner 5 minutes from time.

▪ She'd fancied him for ages and when he asked her out she managed to keep her cool even though she felt faint.

▪ Weaver keeps his cool while all those around him are losing theirs.

▪ You've got to keep your cool, you've got to be strong in the head.

keep your distance

▪ Men tend to keep their children at more of a distance than women.

▪ Police warned the public to keep their distance if they saw a man fitting this description.

▪ Shots were fired into the air to force the police to keep their distance.

▪ Stick to the paths, and make sure you keep your distance from nesting birds.

▪ At first we kept our distance.

▪ Burgess says such activities increase the danger that sharks will lose the respect for humans that mostly makes them keep their distance.

▪ I saw him later, standing at a meeting of walls, a shy girl keeping her distance.

▪ It is easy to see it now in the way labor has kept its distance from the plant-closing movement.

▪ Over the years I have kept my distance from the white women's movement.

▪ Ruth kept her distance from him but she could do nothing about the wretched aura that surrounded him.

▪ Sometimes Fate tiptoes discreetly at the margins of our lives, averting her eyes and keeping her distance.

keep your ears open

▪ All of you - walk around Pentonville and keep your ears open.

▪ They had a kid copper keeping his ears open.

keep your eyes peeled/skinned

▪ But if you mean to stick around on the planet for a bit, you need to keep your eyes skinned.

▪ He had kept his eyes peeled.

▪ He pedalled along the canal bank quite slowly, keeping his eyes skinned for signs of defunct animal life.

▪ If you are interested, keep your eyes peeled for nomination lists to that effect.

▪ One final word on buying components, keep your eyes peeled for products that are about to be discontinued.

▪ She still kept her eyes skinned for people coming up the drive though.

▪ The village was in complete wilderness, our toilet a local bush - keeping our eyes peeled for lions!

▪ We keep our eyes peeled for Forest Service Road 670.

keep your eyes/ears open

▪ All of you - walk around Pentonville and keep your ears open.

▪ By then keeping her eyes open was less of an effort.

▪ Go back to bed only when you can no longer keep your eyes Open.

▪ Remembering his duty, he strode briskly up the stairs, keeping his eyes open for any suspicious signs.

▪ Swing the boat south, keep her eyes open.

▪ The basic rules of self-defence are quite simple: keep your eyes open and you can usually avoid trouble.

▪ The daily firings produced by the withering economy offered loopholes of opportunity for a young man who kept his eyes open.

▪ You know how to keep your eyes open and your mouth shut.

keep your hair on

keep your hand in

▪ Although she has retired now, she keeps her hand in by giving her grandchildren music lessons.

▪ He still comes around the gym occasionally, just to keep his hand in.

▪ For all his pride, he misses the public forum politics provides and wants to keep his hand in somehow.

▪ He kept his hands in his pockets as they beat him.

▪ He kept his hands in his pockets so he would not smash Tony Angotti in the face.

▪ He liked to bow and ruin the effect by keeping his hands in his pockets.

▪ He moved slowly and cautiously, and kept his hands in clear view.

▪ Nevertheless, he continued with his finger covered in blood, keeping his hand in his pocket.

▪ The one-time gifted student kept his hands in his pockets as he listened to the brief proceedings.

keep your head

▪ Paul's good at keeping his head in a crisis.

▪ They were looking for a coach who could stay enthusiastic and keep his head at the same time.

▪ But that will provide small comfort to poor people struggling now to keep their heads above water.

▪ Even his most bitter opponents are keeping their heads down.

▪ He keeps his head smooth with frequent shaving.

▪ He kept his head turned towards Mary, though, as between parted lips they licked the tips of each other's tongues.

▪ I have to keep my head up.

▪ It was good advice to keep my head down in the early months.

▪ Luckily, I am a good swimmer, so I managed to keep my head out of the milk.

▪ Suddenly she began to walk faster to the car, keeping her head turned away from the direction of them.

keep your head above water

▪ Although I've been out of a job for three months, I've managed to keep my head above water.

▪ I'm just a pensioner, trying to keep my head above water.

▪ I work full time, but we're still just keeping our heads above water.

▪ If I get this raise, we'll just about keep our heads above water until next year.

▪ Schools throughout the county are struggling to keep their heads above water.

▪ But that will provide small comfort to poor people struggling now to keep their heads above water.

▪ Coun Bergg, we are happy to report, is alive and well and keeping his head above water.

▪ In reality, Diana was struggling to keep her head above water, let alone undertake a radical management restructuring programme.

▪ It became increasingly difficult to keep his head above water.

▪ Pensioners already fighting to keep their heads above water are being asked to pay extra council tax to fund the refugee crisis.

▪ The wind and waves pushed me along as I struggled to keep my head above water.

▪ We all do, really, and we're keeping our heads above water most beautifully.

keep your head down

▪ But real life, of course, teaches lesser men to keep their heads down and their mouths shut.

▪ Carla kept her head down as she approached the front door, glancing up briefly when the two officers introduced them-selves.

▪ Even his most bitter opponents are keeping their heads down.

▪ He kept his head down under fire, avoided trouble, trusted in luck to keep him alive.

▪ I have pain in my left shoulder when I keep my head down or in moving my left arm a lot.

▪ I kept my head down and pretended to be consuming the scraps left on my dish.

▪ I kept my head down and the heavy bag well to the fore as a protective shield.

▪ It was good advice to keep my head down in the early months.

keep your mind on sth

▪ With all the talk of job losses, I was having trouble keeping my mind on my work.

▪ All good nurses were trained to keep their minds on their jobs, but even good nurses were human.

▪ But I can not keep my mind on the movie, which now seems false and cloying.

▪ He was numbed by the thought of this imaginary food and could hardly keep his mind on what the Padre was saying.

▪ Let's keep our mind on the job at hand.

▪ On Friday, the day of the fair, I had a dreadful time keeping my mind on my work.

▪ Primo has been trying to keep his mind on what they are doing in this moment.

▪ You are going to be hard pushed to keep your mind on whatever you're doing Tuesday.

keep your mouth shut

▪ He just doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut.

▪ You'd better keep your mouth shut about this.

▪ After the incident Ninham, of Hilda Street, gave both boys £5 and told them to keep their mouths shut.

▪ For one, a mistress who kept her mouth shut.

▪ I don't believe she could keep her mouth shut.

▪ If I would only keep my mouth shut more often, I thought, I would fit in better everywhere.

▪ In the end, I kept my mouth shut.

▪ It would be best to keep our mouths shut and let justice take its course.

▪ This is all from Gran so keep your mouth shut.

▪ You want to be off the record, keep your mouth shut.

keep your nose clean

▪ He's been sentenced to seven years in prison, but he'll be out in four if he keeps his nose clean.

▪ It's not a great job, but if you keep your nose clean, you should be promoted by the end of the year.

▪ But journalists are supposed to keep their noses clean, or at least tell us when they don't.

▪ But keep his nose clean and take their money, and he could have a marvellous life in Berlin.

keep your nose out (of sth)

▪ Keep your nose out of my business!

▪ You keep your nose out, you hear me?

keep your nose to the grindstone

keep your own counsel

▪ Even with those she loves most, Ginny tends to keep her own counsel.

▪ Amelia Earhart solved the problem her grandmother presented by keeping her own counsel.

▪ However, he may simply have been keeping his own counsel when talking to me out of a proper loyalty and caution.

▪ I keep my own counsel now, and my children are baffled by the new me.

▪ McLaren keeps his own counsel, being as reticent as Ferguson is gregarious.

▪ She is precisely the person to keep her own counsel for three hours.

▪ So, obediently she kept her own counsel.

▪ They were inscrutable, they kept their own counsel, and they were intelligent.

▪ To the end, he kept his own counsel.

keep your pecker up

▪ It's going to boil down to keeping your pecker up, looking on the best side of things.

keep your powder dry

keep your shirt on

keep your temper

▪ I knew they were trying to annoy me but I was determined to keep my temper.

▪ It took all her patience just to keep her temper.

▪ Police officers are expected to keep their tempers whatever people say to them.

▪ All you have to do is get up close, keep your temper, and shoot straight.

▪ For one, Chilcott had kept his temper, hoping to coax his niece round to his point of view.

▪ He kept his temper and signalled the other galley to turn to the shore at Drimnin, to do the repairs.

▪ How will I keep my temper?

▪ I should have kept my temper, she thought frantically.

▪ Susan told herself to keep her temper.

▪ We kept our tempers, as if patience wasn't something we maintained at the expense of our fading energies.

▪ When Felipe was grown up my father was wary and kept his temper.

keep your trap shut

▪ Tell him to keep his trap shut and let me ask the questions.

keep your/an ear to the ground

▪ I haven't heard any more news, but I'll keep my ear to the ground.

keep/beat time

▪ At one stage, he joined her, pacing with her, beating time with one hand.

▪ In employment systems, after all, people are not mustered to play together as their manager beats time.

▪ It is not true that elsewhere they obey it without beating it, since one beats time wherever choruses are sung.

▪ It starts lean and mean, just a slash of overdriven guitar with tambourine keeping time.

▪ The lord began to tap his foot and beat time with his hand against his thigh.

▪ They are likened by Leibniz to a series of clocks that manage to keep time without being connected.

▪ They were often unable to keep time to within fifteen minutes a day and were frequently out of order.

▪ Tidy time keep time on your side and all your bills in order with this hand clip clock.

keep/break the Sabbath

▪ By healing the man is he keeping the Sabbath Holy or profaning it?.

▪ One of the 10 commandments is to keep the Sabbath Holy.

▪ So the idea of keeping the Sabbath day holy was born.

▪ The people of Lewis keep the Sabbath and their honour.

keep/have one eye/half an eye on sb/sth

keep/have sb on a leash

keep/hold sb at arm's length

▪ Economic policies kept the Soviet Union and Japan at arm's length during the Cold War.

keep/hold sb/sth in check

▪ The court heard that the general was unable to keep his troops in check.

▪ The disease is held in check by weekly injections of a power drug.

▪ A small bag of zeolite was used for three days, every two weeks to keep ammonia in check.

▪ But it was rookie Coach Ray Rhodes who gets the most credit for keeping the team in check.

▪ Churn makes it harder for charities to raise money, keeps real-estate prices in check and politics volatile.

▪ His own temper rose, but he held it in check.

▪ In one important area the Navy held its ambitions in check for bargaining reasons within the Whitehall market-place.

▪ Mulch plants each spring with straw to conserve moisture and keep weeds in check.

▪ What is new is that the controls which held this population in check no longer exist.

keep/hold sth at bay

▪ Sandbags kept the floodwaters at bay.

▪ The government hopes to keep inflation at bay.

▪ All in all, the eatery is a breakfast bargain, with enough different components to keep boredom at bay.

▪ Another technique for keeping performance anxiety at bay is the group sing-along.

▪ Brown has kept the tumult at bay.

▪ Concentrating on Emma would help to keep her worries at bay for a little while.

▪ He was gritting his teeth against the pain, keeping it at bay while he studied the stump, the severed hand.

▪ My voice holds them at bay.

▪ She holds the adventurers at bay by holding the scroll over a candle flame and threatening to destroy it.

▪ Two green glazed lions guarded the gates to keep evil spirits at bay.

keep/leave your options open

▪ At the end of the season, I will keep my options open.

▪ Either way, you can keep your options open.

▪ Flexibility is key, keeping your options open.

▪ Many young people want to keep their options open.

▪ Some companies are keeping their options open on retaining or dumping anachronistic names.

▪ We must expect to be surprised in the future, and we must keep our options open.

▪ You need to keep your options open in order to change courses at a moment's notice.

keep/lose track of sb/sth

▪ I followed the map, keeping track of our position so I could radio in our coordinates if we went down.

▪ Nitrogen use will be more problematic, but precision farming will enable farmers to keep track of field nutrient balances.

▪ Nobody could keep track of all the winners.

▪ North wanted to have Waite wired to keep track of his movements electronically, but Waite, very sensibly, refused.

▪ She'd lost track of it while she was dealing with Anna.

▪ She keeps track of magazine subscription renewals on a 10-by-12-inch card.

▪ Write down the names of people you meet, and then keep track of them.

keep/put something on ice

keep/stay abreast of sth

▪ Executives keep abreast of events in the company by e-mail.

▪ Dulles did more than make the customary recommendations that the policies of the colonial powers keep abreast of local political aspirations.

▪ In this way, hip Benetton stays abreast of the unpredictable storms of fashion.

▪ Many growers may feel overwhelmed as they struggle to keep abreast of potentially helpful developments.

▪ Once in their job, industrial production managers must stay abreast of new production technologies and management practices.

▪ One way to stay abreast of the legal fees is to ask for monthly billings.

▪ Representative staff will keep abreast of national developments by attending conferences and by visiting other schools piloting such courses.

▪ The trouble was that the purchasing power of the workers did not keep abreast of what they produced.

keep/stay etc a jump ahead (of sb)

keep/stay/steer clear (of sb/sth)

▪ Answer Steer clear of these subjects.

▪ Even if Ranieri had secured a change in the law, however, investors would have stayed clear of mortgage bonds.

▪ He had stayed clear of the subject of religion since Christmas.

▪ Pittman advises steering clear of any influence that puts our own happiness first.

▪ The Profitboss steers clear of such indulgence, for in the end everyone pays dearly for the privilege of the few.

▪ The starters have learned to steer clear of her.

▪ Unless your home is totally dilapidated, steer clear of a complete redecoration prior to selling: it will arouse suspicion.

keep/stick to the message

move/change/keep up with the times

▪ Motoring: Can R-R keep up with the times?

▪ The pub has made no attempt to keep up with the times ... no karaoke here ... just conversation.

out of keeping (with sth)

▪ This ambitious and cumbersome attraction was totally out of keeping with the Niagara ambience, but Barnett persisted.

play/keep your cards close to your chest

put/keep sb in the picture

▪ Besides, I wanted to put you in the picture.

▪ Call it: putting you in the picture.

▪ He put Maclean in the picture about his letter to Wilson.

▪ Perhaps he did not like to argue with Jean-Claude, suspecting that my lover may have been put fully in the picture.

▪ Then she remembered that she had promised to keep Sybil in the picture but decided that could wait as well.

set/start/keep the ball rolling

▪ Ali MacGraw set the ball rolling with Love Story.

▪ And laughter is infectious ... so a little bit of effort on the small screen could start the ball rolling.

▪ Does that make a difference, or did he and others just start the ball rolling?

▪ He will keep the ball rolling.

▪ Her words started the ball rolling.

▪ To start the ball rolling, the government was asked to contribute £1 million.

▪ Volume 2 deals with general idioms e.g. keep the ball rolling, the proof of the pudding.

▪ Wolves play a similar style, and at times one yearned for some one to set the ball rolling ... literally.

take/keep/get sb's mind off sth

▪ At other times, the surroundings helped to take my mind off it.

▪ I guess there is nothing that will get your mind off every-thing like golf will.

▪ Instead they tried to take their minds off the poster campaign by providing weekend entertainment.

▪ It takes your mind off how you feel.

▪ Kirsty chattered excitedly throughout the journey, helping to keep Shiona's mind off her anxieties.

▪ Letters could take my mind off most things.

▪ To take his mind off his worries, I suggested that he wrote out a message for his family.

▪ When the other guy thinks you are cheating, it can take his mind off the game.

EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES

▪ Keep still. I need to put a bandage on your finger.

▪ Do you think this bacon will keep till tomorrow?

▪ Don't let me keep you if you have other things to do.

▪ Don't let me keep you.

▪ Eat celery as soon as possible -- it does not keep well for long periods.

▪ I'd hate to have a job that kept me in the office all the time.

▪ I've decided to keep my car even though it's getting old.

▪ I keep all my tickets and boarding passes as souvenirs.

▪ I don't know how he managed to keep his sense of humour with all he's been through.

▪ I was always getting kept after school for something when I was a kid.

▪ In spite of the difficulties, Roby's kept his sense of humor.

▪ It's hard to keep the house clean with three kids.

▪ Mac should be here by now. What's keeping him?

▪ May the Lord bless you and keep you.

▪ Mom and Dad said we could keep the puppy.

▪ My grandfather kept his teeth in a glass next to his bed.

▪ My job keeps me really busy.

▪ My mother kept all the letters my father ever wrote her.

▪ Paul managed to keep awake by drinking lots of strong black coffee.

▪ People don't keep Christmas the way they used to.

EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS

▪ Charlie Northrup drove his car to the Biondo farm at dusk to keep his appointment with Jack.

▪ In both of these cases you have kept your centre-line turned to face the opponent and so left your options open.

▪ Keegan is desperate to stay after savouring his first taste in management by keeping United in the Second Division.

▪ New shells for old Q I would like to keep a Hermit Club.

▪ Still, the only thing it ever kept me from doing in sports was being a football referee.

▪ The countryside has a dignity in Piersanti's novel which keeps it from becoming a mere object of nostalgia.

▪ The relationship was not kept secret from her supervisors.

II.noun