Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
keep up
keep up phrasal verb (see also keep)
1. keep something ↔ up to continue doing something:
• I don’t think I can keep this up any longer.
keep up the good work! (=continue to work hard and well)
2. if a situation keeps up, it continues without stopping or changing SYN continue:
• How long can the economic boom keep up?
3. to go as quickly as someone else
keep up with
• I had to walk fast to keep up with him.
4. to manage to do as much or as well as other people OPP fall behind
keep up with
• Jack’s having trouble keeping up with the rest of the class.
keep up with the Joneses (=try to have the same new impressive possessions that other people have)
5. to continue to read and learn about a particular subject, so that you always know about the most recent facts, products etc
keep up with
• Employees need to keep up with the latest technical developments.
6. keep something ↔ up to make something continue at its present level or amount, instead of letting it decrease:
• NATO kept up the pressure on the Serbs to get out of Kosovo.
7. if one process keeps up with another, it increases at the same speed and by the same amount
keep up with
• Food production is not keeping up with population growth.
8. keep something ↔ up to continue to practise a skill so that you do not lose it:
• I used to speak French, but I haven’t kept it up.
9. keep somebody up informal to prevent someone from going to bed:
• I hope I’m not keeping you up.
10. keep your spirits/strength/morale etc up to stay happy, strong, confident etc by making an effort:
• We sang as we marched, to keep our spirits up.
11. keep up appearances to pretend that everything in your life is normal and happy even though you are in trouble, especially financial trouble
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
keep up
▪ I.ˌkeep ˈupderived
if particular weather keeps up, it continues without stopping
• The rain kept up all afternoon.
Main entry: keepderived
▪ II.ˌkeep ˈup (with sb/sth)derived
to move, make progress or increase at the same rate as sb/sth
• Slow down— I can't keep up!
• I can't keep up with all the changes.
• Wages are not keeping up with inflation.
Main entry: keepderived
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
keep up
keep up (UNDERSTAND) phrasal verb
to be able to understand or deal with something that is happening or changing very fast:
I read the papers to keep up with what's happening in the outside world.
keep (sth) up
keep (sth) up (CONTINUE) phrasal verb [M]
to continue without stopping or changing, or to continue something without allowing it to stop or change:
Keep up the good work!
keep up (with sb/sth)
keep up (with sb/sth) (STAY LEVEL) phrasal verb
If someone or something keeps up with someone or something else, they do whatever is necessary to stay level or equal with that person or thing:
He started to walk faster and the children had to run to keep up.
Wages are failing to keep up with inflation.
Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
keep up
1) PHRASAL VERB If you keep up with someone or something that is moving near you, you move at the same speed.
[V P with n] She shook her head and started to walk on. He kept up with her. [Also V P]
2) PHRASAL VERB To keep up with something that is changing means to be able to cope with the change, usually by changing at the same rate.
[V P with n] The union called the strike to press for wage increases which keep up with inflation...
[V P] Things are changing so fast, it's hard to keep up.
3) PHRASAL VERB If you keep up with your work or with other people, you manage to do or understand all your work, or to do or understand it as well as other people.
[V P with n] Penny tended to work through her lunch hour in an effort to keep up with her work...
[V P] Life here is tough for a parent whose kids aren't keeping up in school.
4) PHRASAL VERB If you keep up with what is happening, you make sure that you know about it.
[V P with n] She did not bother to keep up with the news. [Also V P]
5) PHRASAL VERB If you keep something up, you continue to do it or provide it.
[V n P] I was so hungry all the time that I could not keep the diet up for longer than a month...
[V P n (not pron)] They risk losing their homes because they can no longer keep up the repayments.
6) PHRASAL VERB If you keep something up, you prevent it from growing less in amount, level, or degree.
[V n P] There will be a major incentive among TV channels to keep standards up...
[V P n (not pron)] Opposition forces are keeping up the pressure against the government.
Syn:
maintain
7) → See also keep 25)