keep at

British  

verb

1. (intr) to persevere with or persist in

2. (tr) to constrain (a person) to continue doing (a task)

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keep at Idioms  

1. Persevere or persist at doing something. For example, If you keep at your math, you'll soon master it . It is also put as keep at it , as in He kept at it all day and finally finished the report . [Early 1800s]

2. keep at someone . Nag, harass, or annoy someone, as in You have to keep at Carl if you want him to do the work , or He keeps at Millie all the time . Also see keep after .

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Example Sentences

Under the old rules, margin account holders who made four or more day-trades within five business days had to keep at least $25,000 in their accounts, effectively shutting out smaller traders.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

In effect: Set it and keep at it.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 21, 2026

Yes, it’s ideal to keep at least three months’ of expenses in an emergency fund, but don’t abandon saving altogether if that seems like an intimidating target.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 18, 2025

"We eat only what we can keep at room temperature," says Rosa.

From BBC • Aug. 9, 2025

“Gawd, you boys will be flyin’ all the way up to Washington Dee Cee you keep at it this way,” Tom Tickle roared.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam