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Synonyms

on an even keel

Idioms  

  1. Stable, balanced, as in She had the knack of keeping us on an even keel in any emergency. This term, used figuratively since the mid-1800s, alludes to keeping a vessel's keel in a level position, assuring smooth sailing.

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.

Maintaining a sense of normalcy — when it is safe to do so — helps kids stay on an even keel.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2025

His trip is widely seen as an attempt to put relations on an even keel, after a period of immense tension last year.

From BBC • Apr. 26, 2024

Speaking in Brazil, Agustín Carstens, the bank's general manager, said a tough response to inflation was fundamental for maintaining trust in central banks' ability to keep economies on an even keel.

From Reuters • May 19, 2023

“So I think we have to stay on an even keel in weighing those threats carefully but also not being intimidated by them.”

From New York Times • Feb. 3, 2023

Tansy had us on an even keel now.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

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.