verb · neutral
keep
/kiːp/KEEP
to retain possession of something or continue doing or having something
Examples
“Keep the receipt in case you need to return the item.”
“They keep detailed records of student attendance.”
“Keep practising if you want to improve.”
Band 8 sentence
“To improve transparency, the department keeps meticulous records of all spending and publishes summaries every quarter.”
Collocations
- keep in mind
- keep doing (something)
- keep up with
- keep a record
Word family
Common mistakes
I keep to study every night.→I keep studying every night.
Keep this in your mind.→Keep this in mind.
I keep the meeting yesterday.→I kept the meeting yesterday.
Say it for a higher band
5have→6hold→7+keep
Synonyms
retain
hold
Easily confused
hold
“Please hold the ladder while I climb.”
save
“Remember to save your document before closing the program.”
retain
“The company retained the right to terminate the contract.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In Irregular forms
Learn it with its set