keep from
Britishverb
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(foll by a gerund) to prevent or restrain (oneself or another); refrain or cause to refrain
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(tr) to protect or preserve from
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Withhold; also, prevent. For example, What information are you keeping from me? or Please keep your dog from running through our garden . [c. 1340]
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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.
Surrounded by grieving women at Al-Mawasi camp in southern Gaza, where Palestinians displaced by fighting and bombardment live in precarious conditions, Nur al-Huda pressed her lips together to keep from crying.
From Barron's • Jan. 22, 2026
The goal is to keep from escalating the disagreement.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 27, 2025
They’ll discuss the lessons we should keep from the systemic failure that resulted in the Great Depression and why the knowledge feels as relevant as ever today.
From Slate • Oct. 30, 2025
This included secrets their characters shared as a couple, as well as individual things the pair was meant to keep from each other.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2025
She tried burying her face in her phone to keep from making eye contact and hoped people just assumed she was related to the family who ran the café.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
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.
