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Synonyms

keep on

British  

verb

  1. to continue or persist in (doing something)

    keep on running

  2. (tr) to continue to wear

  3. (tr) to continue to employ

    the firm kept on only ten men

  4. to persist in talking (about)

  5. to nag (a person)

"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 on Idioms  

  1. Continue, persist, as in They kept on singing all night . [Late 1500s]

  2. Maintain an existing situation, as in After Mr. Brown died, the housekeeper wondered if she would be kept on . [Mid-1600s]

  3. Cause to stay on or remain attached, as in Keep your coat on; it's cold in here . [Late 1800s]

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.

For the rally to keep on rolling, companies will face an increasingly high bar for corporate profit growth to meet, or exceed, analysts’ expectations.

From MarketWatch • May 3, 2026

The Bees just keep on drawing games at the moment, though, so I've really got to go for another draw here, haven't I?

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026

But he admits: "There are so many trucks dumping clothes it's really hard to keep on top of it! We don't have the resources."

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

One woman finished 20 books from a library that producers keep on set to help extras occupy themselves between shots.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

I’m going to keep on doing my best to blend in.

From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein

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.