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.
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
“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
In the end, trade publications — which have reporters inside the theater to keep time — clocked the standing ovation at five minutes.
From Seattle Times ● May 22, 2023
None of us have watches, and I don’t see a clock, so I don’t know how she expects us to keep time.
From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty
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.
