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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.

His job now is to keep the team and drivers on an even keel, to try to brush off the pressure and focus on the job in hand.

From BBC • Oct. 19, 2025

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

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

“He kept things on an even keel and maybe that dynamic between Jeremiah and Isaac made that band sort of work.”

From Seattle Times • Mar. 1, 2023

And the only thing left to do is balance it; keep things on an even keel.

From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison

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.