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Antonyms for keeping up

Grammar : Verb
Spell : keep
Phonetic Transcription : kip


Definition of keeping up

Origin :
  • late Old English cepan "to seize, hold," also "to observe," from Proto-Germanic *kopijanan, but with no certain connection to other languages. It possibly is related to Old English capian "to look," from Proto-Germanic *kap- (cepan was used c.1000 to render Latin observare), which would make the basic sense "to keep an eye on."
  • The word prob. belongs primarily to the vulgar and non-literary stratum of the language; but it comes up suddenly into literary use c.1000, and that in many senses, indicating considerable previous development. [OED]
  • Sense of "preserve, maintain" is from mid-14c. Meaning "to maintain in proper order" is from 1550s; meaning "financially support and privately control" (usually in reference to mistresses) is from 1540s. Related: Kept; keeping.
  • verb maintain, sustain
Example sentences :
  • Instead of keeping up channel, however, our ship hauled in for the land.
  • Extract from : « Ned Myers » by James Fenimore Cooper
  • We now had some sharp work with the batteries, keeping up a steady fire.
  • Extract from : « Ned Myers » by James Fenimore Cooper
  • Then I am only keeping up the reputation my countrymen have already acquired in America.
  • Extract from : « One Day's Courtship » by Robert Barr
  • Send for his logs, and let us examine them; he may have been keeping up the acquaintance.'
  • Extract from : « The Pirate and The Three Cutters » by Frederick Marryat
  • Meantime she tried to keep down her anxiety by keeping up her anger.
  • Extract from : « The Eternal City » by Hall Caine
  • The men take pride in keeping up the morale of the regiment.
  • Extract from : « Three Years in the Federal Cavalry » by Willard Glazier
  • But instead of keeping up his work, he went on to the house with her.
  • Extract from : « The Prisoner » by Alice Brown
  • He yelled and swam lustily like a merman, keeping up with the ship.
  • Extract from : « Youth » by Joseph Conrad
  • The system adopted for keeping up the roads is very interesting.
  • Extract from : « Where Half The World Is Waking Up » by Clarence Poe
  • And, indeed, there was no difficulty in her keeping up with them.
  • Extract from : « Phil Bradley's Mountain Boys » by Silas K. Boone

Synonyms for keeping up

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019