keep time

Idioms  

1. Maintain the correct tempo and rhythm of music; also, mark the rhythm by foot-tapping, hand movements, or the like. For example, The children love to keep time by clapping their hands . This usage dates from the late 1500s and is occasionally put figuratively, as Ben Jonson did in Cynthia's Revels (1699): “Slow, slow, fresh fount, keep time with my salt tears.”

2. Also, keep good time . Indicate the correct time, as in This inexpensive watch does not keep good time . [Late 1800s]

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Example Sentences

They'll give counts via a microphone linked to his hearing aids, allowing him to keep time with the rest of the team.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

“As more viewers convert to its ad tier, the challenge will be to keep time spent high in the face of advertising worsening the user experience,” Emarketer senior analyst Ross Benes said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 17, 2024

When the time comes, Soleil will don dresses and jewelry gifted by family members and perform more than 100 dances, using a curved staff to keep time with the music.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 28, 2023

The combs can measure the natural oscillation of atoms so precisely that they have become an indispensable component of atomic clocks, which keep time incredibly well by counting these oscillations.

From Scientific American • May 12, 2023

“It’s how my father taught me. If I don’t wind it consistently, it won’t keep time as well. And if I overwind it, the mainspring might break.”

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros