in check

Idioms  

1. Restrained from moving or acting; under control. For example, The first division held the enemy in check, or Mary kept her emotions in check. This term replaced at check and out of check, which date from the mid-1500s.

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Example Sentences

To keep costs in check, he is relying on the house-swapping platform HomeExchange.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 25, 2026

Golden State’s Kaila Charles and Gabby Williams kept Plum mostly in check, holding her to a season-low nine points after her career-high 43-point game in Phoenix on Saturday.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2026

The company quickly raised prices and kept marketing spending in check.

From MarketWatch • May 25, 2026

As captain Bernardo Silva's number 20 went up on the fourth official's board on 59 minutes, Guardiola could not keep his emotion in check any longer.

From BBC • May 24, 2026

Although the vet had said it could take up to ten weekly visits to get his blood sugar in check, I was optimistic.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas

Related Words

• discreet
• laid-back
• mild
• muted
• reasonable
• reticent
• subdued
• tasteful
• unobtrusive