1
as in celebrated
to mark with an appropriate practice, rite, or ceremony
keep the Sabbath by not working
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in retained
to continue to have in one's possession or power
the money is yours to keep keep my secret and don't tell it to anyone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in fulfilled
to do what is required by the terms of
make sure you keep your promise to help out at the homeless shelter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
5
as in maintained
to pay the living expenses of
agreed to keep both of their children in off-campus housing until they graduated and found jobs
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in managed
to look after and make decisions about
enlisted a relative to keep the store while she was away
Synonyms & Similar Words
7
as in contained
to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression)
try to keep your composure no matter what happens
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in protected
to drive danger or attack away from
may God bless and keep you
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 kept
Officers kept some witnesses at the scene for questioning and blocked off streets in the area.
—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 July 2026
Ray settled in and kept the Rockies at bay before turning the game over to the bullpen.
—
ABC News,
5 July 2026
The Royals’ starting pitcher, Michael Wacha, kept the deficit manageable.
—
Kansas City Star,
5 July 2026
Customers have said it’s kept them cool enough while running around Orlando in peak summer heat and humidity, and even camping in temperatures over 100 degrees.
—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
4 July 2026
Contemporary psychology inherited the same concept and gave it a clinical label, self-regulation, but kept its place among the small set of traits considered foundational to human character.
—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2026
But this was the afternoon of July 3, so the crowds outside the arena kept growing.
—
Emily Yahr,
Washington Post,
4 July 2026
Until just this week, it had been kept rolled up and tucked away in a county fair building.
—
Rebekah Riess,
CNN Money,
4 July 2026
The Cubs kept the game plan fairly simple for Peterson in his debut following a whirlwind couple of days after learning he had been traded Wednesday evening.
—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
28 June 2026
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 July 2026
Ray settled in and kept the Rockies at bay before turning the game over to the bullpen.
—
ABC News,
5 July 2026
The Royals’ starting pitcher, Michael Wacha, kept the deficit manageable.
—
Kansas City Star,
5 July 2026
Customers have said it’s kept them cool enough while running around Orlando in peak summer heat and humidity, and even camping in temperatures over 100 degrees.
—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
4 July 2026
Contemporary psychology inherited the same concept and gave it a clinical label, self-regulation, but kept its place among the small set of traits considered foundational to human character.
—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2026
But this was the afternoon of July 3, so the crowds outside the arena kept growing.
—
Emily Yahr,
Washington Post,
4 July 2026
Until just this week, it had been kept rolled up and tucked away in a county fair building.
—
Rebekah Riess,
CNN Money,
4 July 2026
The Cubs kept the game plan fairly simple for Peterson in his debut following a whirlwind couple of days after learning he had been traded Wednesday evening.
—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
28 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kept
Verb
-
Sonoma, long celebrated for wine, has emerged as a premier food destination.
-
She was also celebrated with a career-spanning tribute featuring many of the artists who have followed in her wake.
Verb
-
For ordinary users, this means more personal information is collected, passed through more systems and retained in more databases, all in the name of preventing crime.
-
Under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act of 2004, at least 80% of the entrance fees paid onsite must be retained and used at the national park where the fees are collected.
Verb
-
Broos’s side takes on Canada in Los Angeles today after advancing from the group stage with a surprise 1-0 victory over South Korea, and the Belgian said reaching the knockout rounds had fulfilled the team’s initial objective.
-
Sure enough, their destiny was fulfilled the following morning.
Verb
-
Each chair transforms into a full-size foam mattress that's already stored inside -- no air pumps or extra storage required.
-
Whether it's stored inside an apartment, packed into an SUV for a weekend getaway, or loaded into an RV before hitting the road, its compact folding frame makes transportation and storage remarkably simple.
Verb
-
Razia showed up at the scene not to aid in a kidnapping, but to confront her online tormentor, Sacks maintained.
-
Pfendler appears to have broken both the previous women's speed record as well as the men's speed record, according to records maintained by Ocean Rowing Society International, which adjudicates ocean-rowing achievements for Guinness World Records.
Verb
-
The Phillies loaded the bases with two outs in the second, and after fouling off several Chandler pitches, Crawford took another late swipe and managed to hit one down the third base line off the end of the bat.
-
In addition, problems at large banks — the failure of which could cause systemic issues — can be managed better if those banks have a larger cushion of reserves to draw on, either to get through a difficult period or to be resolved.
Verb
-
Flames raced through rows of vehicles at a Rancho Cordova salvage yard Friday evening, engulfing between 50 and 100 vehicles before more than 70 firefighters contained the blaze and kept it from spreading to neighboring businesses.
-
Last July, the Reno Police Department in Nevada said in a news release that a truck shipment managed by Ceva Logistics that contained about $15 million in semiconductors and Apple products was stolen.
Verb
-
By then Tanacharison is telling Washington that he is mystically protected, in the mode of certain Indigenous warriors who were placed on earth to be leaders.
-
Steinbaugh argued the email was protected speech under the First Amendment and does not represent a legitimate threat.
Cite this Entry
“Kept.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kept. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
