keep down

British  

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

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keep down Idioms  

1. 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]

2. 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]

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Example Sentences

But sadness is a powerful foe, maybe harder to keep down than happiness, and it was a struggle.

From Literature

Years later, he told a grand jury: “My primary duties were to keep down these gangster killings and try to keep some of these rough guys under control.”

From Los Angeles Times

How do you keep down the cost of prescription medications?

From The Wall Street Journal

Medication can also be given through an IV port if medication is unable to be kept down.

From BBC

Stocks such as Harley haven’t recovered as much as others since April’s market lows, kept down by affordability worries—buying a high-ticket item in a time of dogged inflation and higher interest rates.

From Barron's

Related Words

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