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
Much of the time I was depressed just trying to keep from drowning in the maelstrom of events and emotions swirling around him.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 11, 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
Bigger companies were able to front load their inventories in anticipation, and small businesses have been taking out loans and freezing hiring to keep from raising prices.
From Salon • Oct. 26, 2025
We knew what was happening—there was no way to keep from knowing.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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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.