kept one's powder dry

A form of keep one's powder dry — To hold back on action until a future time; to save one's resources in case of emergency.

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Meanings

verb
  1. participlepastsimple past and past participle of keep one's powder dry
Cite this entry
APA

kept one's powder dry. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kept%20one's%20powder%20dry

MLA

“kept one's powder dry.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kept%20one's%20powder%20dry. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “kept one's powder dry,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kept%20one's%20powder%20dry.

Source: kept one's powder dry on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.