keep off

verb

1. to stay or cause to stay at a distance (from)

2. (preposition) not to eat or drink or prevent from eating or drinking

3. (preposition) to avoid or cause to avoid (a topic)

4. (intr, adverb) not to start

   the rain kept off all day

Idioms and Phrases

Ward off, avert, as in She used a bug spray to keep off the mosquitoes . [Mid-1500s]

Stay away from, not touch or trespass on; also, prevent from touching or trespassing. For example, They put up a sign asking the public to keep off their property , or Please keep your feet off the sofa . [Late 1500s] Also see hands off .

Example Sentences

Elsewhere in the segment, Watters openly wondered how many racist mascots the network could have kept off the scrap heap.

From Salon

The song debuted at number two on the US Billboard 100 chart, and Drake expressed frustration at being kept off the top spot by Alex Warren's hit Ordinary.

From BBC

"Despite this record expenditure - which importantly is being artificially kept off local authority balance sheets - we recognise that there is widespread dissatisfaction with the system," he said.

From BBC

Our sentencing reforms will force prisoners to earn their way to release or face longer in jail for bad behaviour, while ensuring the most dangerous offenders can be kept off our streets.

From BBC

However, the patient later died and a separate investigation was launched, as a result of which Miss Thorpe was kept off work for a total of two years.

From BBC

Related Words

• avert 
• avoid 
• deflect 
• rebuff 
• rebut 
• reject 
• repel 
• repulse 
• resist 
• spurn 
• ward off