keep
verb (used with object)
to hold or retain in one's possession; hold as one's own.
had kept
-
past perfectof keep.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
But in February 2025, weeks after Trump’s second inauguration, Romanian authorities lifted the travel restrictions that had kept the Tates in the country, and the pair immediately boarded a private jet to Florida.
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026
Until Wednesday, Harris had kept the shooting video under wraps for nearly nine months by invoking an exception to state law requiring police shootings to be released, citing an investigation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026
For years, McClain had kept cattle here in his hometown and on the Texas Panhandle, buying calves at auction and selling them for profit three months later.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026
Speaking to ITV's This Morning, Murs thanked the public for donating, adding that their support had kept him going.
From BBC ● May 15, 2026
And, most ominously of all, in the mid-1970s the Soviet Union showed signs of pulling ahead, upsetting the balance that had kept World War III in check for nearly three decades.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
