keep down

verb

1. to repress; hold in submission

2. to restrain or control

   he had difficulty keeping his anger down

3. to cause not to increase or rise

   prices were kept down for six months

4. (intr) not to show oneself to one's opponents; lie low

5. to cause (food) to stay in the stomach; not vomit

Idioms and Phrases

Hold under control, repress; also, retain food. For example, Keep you voice down , or They vowed to keep down the insurgency , or With morning sickness, she had a hard time keeping down her breakfast . [Late 1500s]

Prevent from increasing or succeeding, as in The government was determined to keep prices down , or Joyce felt that her lack of an advanced degree kept her down in terms of promotions . [Early 1800s]

Related Words

• confine 
• constrain 
• control 
• curb 
• curtail 
• detain 
• deter 
• govern 
• hamper 
• hinder 
• inhibit 
• kill 
• limit 
• prevent 
• repress 
• restrict 
• subdue 
• suppress