upkeep
Americannoun
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the process or activity of providing an establishment, machine, person, etc., with necessary or proper maintenance, repairs, support, or the like.
The machine's faulty operation shows that no one has attended to its upkeep.
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the total sum of the costs or expenses for this.
noun
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the act or process of keeping something in good repair, esp over a long period; maintenance
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the cost of maintenance
Etymology
Origin of upkeep
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Destroyed by bombing during the Israeli invasion in 1982 and rebuilt after the end of the civil war in 1990, it has fallen into disrepair due to a lack of funds for its upkeep.
From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026
Service charges cover the costs of buildings insurance, repairs and maintenance to the exterior of the properties, such as the cleaning of shared spaces or upkeep of communal gardens.
From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026
"I'd rather get hit than take shelter in there," joked mayor Ghanayem, not dwelling on who was responsible for their upkeep.
From Barron's • Mar. 14, 2026
Service sales increased in 2024, driven in part by higher volume on F-35 upkeep contracts, the company disclosed in that same annual report.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 28, 2026
The upkeep on the West Twenty-Sixth Street house in New York became too much for Leah, Kate, and Mother.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
