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Synonyms

keep from

British  

verb

  1. (foll by a gerund) to prevent or restrain (oneself or another); refrain or cause to refrain

  2. (tr) to protect or preserve from

"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 from Idioms  

  1. Withhold; also, prevent. For example, What information are you keeping from me? or Please keep your dog from running through our garden . [c. 1340]

  2. Restrain oneself, hold oneself back, as in I can hardly keep from laughing . [c. 1340]

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.

Betsie and I looked hard into our coffee to keep from laughing.

From Literature

We knew what was happening—there was no way to keep from knowing.

From Literature

I bit my lip to keep from saying it.

From Literature

I clutched the counter to keep from falling myself as the sounds continued.

From Literature

He had to grit his teeth to keep from retching.

From Literature

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.