keep one's word

1. Honor one's promises, as in You can count on Richard; he'll keep his word. This expression employs word in the sense of “a promise,” a usage dating from the late 1500s. For an antonym, see go back on.

Example Sentences

For instance, to love one’s parents, respect other people’s property, to keep one’s word, etc., is right; to harm those who have done us no harm, to deceive and lie, to be ungrateful towards our benefactors, and unfaithful to our friends, etc., is wrong.

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Still, she had promised, and one should keep one’s word unless the keeping becomes impossible.

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If you have promised things to other people—— My father always said that one must keep one's word.'

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But the good faith, inculcated by sound reason and religion, is not hereby made void; for neither reason nor Scripture teaches one to keep one's word in every case.

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He showed how much more creditable were the artless virtues of honesty and truthfulness; how better it was to keep one's word, to be kind-hearted and dutiful.

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