keep time
Idioms-
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.”
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Also, keep good time . Indicate the correct time, as in This inexpensive watch does not keep good time . [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.
The ranch is home to the 10,000-Year-Clock, which is designed to keep time for 10,000 years and helped Sanchez think about her future with Bezos, according to Vogue.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
They identified 57 genomic regions associated with it, sharing genetic architecture with autism, depression and the ability to keep time in a musical rhythm.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
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
“All of this happens, obviously, very fast,” said Alain Zobrist of Omega, the Swiss company contracted to keep time at the Games.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2024
I know that my feet only work to help me keep time when I sing and press the pedals on the piano.
From "Amina's Voice" by Hena Khan
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.
