keep on
phrasal verb
kept on; keeping on; keeps on
1
informal
: to continue happening, doing something, working, etc.
The rain kept on throughout the day.
He talked and talked. At one point I thought he would keep on all night.
She kept on talking after I told her to be quiet.
2
: to continue to have (someone) as an employee
The chef was kept on even after the restaurant was sold.
Examples of keep on in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Even after the club officially announced Frank’s departure later that morning, some members of staff were left wondering whether they would be kept on or following the Dane out the door.
—
Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Late freezes may potentially affect early blooming fruit trees and garden plants, so gardeners and farmers may want to delay planting crops that are sensitive to frost, and keep on-hand cold-weather protection like cold frames, row covers and mulch, according to the almanac.
—Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Legitimate media, meanwhile, keep on reporting.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 13 Feb. 2026
LightBar believes there is a gap in the market for this kind of work, given that studios are often playing wack-a-mole to keep on top of IP infractions.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for keep on
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Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Late freezes may potentially affect early blooming fruit trees and garden plants, so gardeners and farmers may want to delay planting crops that are sensitive to frost, and keep on-hand cold-weather protection like cold frames, row covers and mulch, according to the almanac.
—Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Legitimate media, meanwhile, keep on reporting.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 13 Feb. 2026
LightBar believes there is a gap in the market for this kind of work, given that studios are often playing wack-a-mole to keep on top of IP infractions.
—Jake Kanter, Deadline, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for keep on
Cite this Entry
“Keep on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/keep%20on. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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