Synonyms

keep the peace

Idioms

Maintain public order; prevent strife. For example, President Clinton ordered troops to Bosnia to keep the peace. This expression dates from the 1400s and was originally used more in the first sense, that is, of police keeping public order. It gained extra currency in the second half of the 1900s when military forces were sent to diverse places—Lebanon, Haiti, Bosnia—to stop warring factions.

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.

On Wednesday, Paz announced a cabinet reshuffle in a bid to keep the peace.

From Barron's • May 21, 2026

But it is hard to keep the peace.

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

But it would also keep the peace, making it harder for ICE to escalate conflicts with the community, while reducing feelings of frustration for activists.

From Salon • Jan. 28, 2026

As the area became more popular over the years, leading to mounting tensions between skiers, commuters, snowplow drivers and highway-patrol officials, Pistono worked to keep the peace.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 17, 2025

I would’ve done anything to keep the peace, done anything to get him to forgive me and give him reason to keep loving me.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023