keep after

Idioms

Make a persistent effort regarding; also, persistently urge someone to do something. For example, We'll have to keep after the cobwebs, or He won't get anything done unless you keep after him. Also see keep at, def. 2.

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.

keep after

He’ll keep after an idea until he — and his readers — gets it.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 22, 2022

He added, "These men are standing with dignity and honor, and continuing to keep after it."

From Fox News ● Mar. 1, 2022

Jagger and Richards were ready to ditch the song, but Oldham urged them to keep after it.

From Slate ● May 10, 2016

“That’s why you have to keep after it, poking away.”

From New York Times ● Feb. 19, 2016

"These people! You have to keep after them all the time."

From " The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023