Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

keep on

British  

verb

  1. to continue or persist in (doing something)

    keep on running

  2. (tr) to continue to wear

  3. (tr) to continue to employ

    the firm kept on only ten men

  4. to persist in talking (about)

  5. to nag (a person)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
keep on Idioms  

  1. Continue, persist, as in They kept on singing all night . [Late 1500s]

  2. Maintain an existing situation, as in After Mr. Brown died, the housekeeper wondered if she would be kept on . [Mid-1600s]

  3. Cause to stay on or remain attached, as in Keep your coat on; it's cold in here . [Late 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.

And the numbers show that the U.S. economy is increasingly dependent on this class to keep on spending.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

Gough says those fluctuations are too much to keep on top of when he’s running every aspect of Reverie’s operations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

But if this past year has taught him anything, it’s how critical it is to keep on course.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2026

"Tony Benn famously said there's no final defeats or final victories, you just keep on going."

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026

When someone you know dies, it’s your job to keep on living.

From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles

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.