keep up with

verb

To manage to remain beside or just behind someone or something that is moving away from one.

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Meanings

verbkeep up with (third-person singular simple present keeps up with, present participle keeping up with, simple past and past participle kept up with)

present singular third person keeps up with · participle present keeping up with · participle past kept up with · past kept up with

  1. informalTo manage to remain beside or just behind someone or something that is moving away from one.

    Blake needed to run to keep up with the indignant Doctor.

    1993, Neil Penswick, The pit, London: Virgin Books, pages 113–257
  2. figurativelyinformalTo manage to remain up to date with trends, fashions, etc.

    Keeping up with the latest hair trends as ever, Wella has just introduced Hair Sets in three variants.

    1992, Hair Flair, London: Shaws Publications Ltd, pages 4–58
  3. informalTo manage to follow an argument, a discussion, etc.

Translations

French aller de pair avec
  • aller de pair avecmanage to remain beside or just behind
German mithalten, mit etwas Schritt halten
  • mithaltenmanage to remain beside or just behind
  • mit etwas Schritt haltenmanage to remain beside or just behind
Irish coinnigh suas le
  • coinnigh suas lemanage to remain beside or just behind
Italian tenere dietro a, stare al passo con
  • tenere dietro amanage to remain beside or just behind
  • stare al passo conmanage to remain up to date
  • non sfiguraremanage to remain up to date
  • stare al passo conmanage to follow an argument, a discussion, etc
Polish nadążać, nadążyć
  • nadążaćmanage to remain beside or just behind
  • nadążyćmanage to remain beside or just behind
  • nadążaćmanage to remain up to date
  • nadążyćmanage to remain up to date
  • nadążaćmanage to follow an argument, a discussion, etc
  • nadążyćmanage to follow an argument, a discussion, etc
Scottish Gaelic cùm suas ri, cùm suas ri
  • cùm suas rimanage to remain beside or just behind
  • cùm suas rimanage to remain up to date
  • cùm suas rimanage to follow an argument, a discussion, etc
Spanish seguir, ir al paso
  • seguirmanage to remain beside or just behind
  • ir al pasomanage to remain beside or just behind
Cite this entry
APA

keep up with. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/keep%20up%20with

MLA

“keep up with.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/keep%20up%20with. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “keep up with,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/keep%20up%20with.

Source: keep up with on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.