keep down
Britishverb
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to repress; hold in submission
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to restrain or control
he had difficulty keeping his anger down
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to cause not to increase or rise
prices were kept down for six months
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(intr) not to show oneself to one's opponents; lie low
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to cause (food) to stay in the stomach; not vomit
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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]
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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]
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.
The theory at the time was that the market needed a fourth competitor to keep down prices.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
Even though, objectively speaking, that smoothie looks like something I would not be able to keep down, it means something to them.
From Salon • Feb. 15, 2026
"For businesses, effective competition in general search would help keep down the costs of search advertising, in turn leading to lower prices across the economy," the CMA said.
From Barron's • Oct. 10, 2025
Betts has struggled to keep down solid food, the ordeal leaving him “scared to eat.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 23, 2025
It’s a shame I learned to keep down a long time ago.
From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
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.
