KEEPING Synonyms: 341 Similar and Opposite Words

keeping 1 of 2

noun

ˈkē-piŋ

Definition of keeping

as in custody

responsibility for the safety and well-being of someone or something put the house keys into a neighbor's secure keeping while they were on vacation

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Relevance

as in hands

the fact or state of having (something) at one's disposal my aunt has all of our family's old photographs in her keeping

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as in adherence

the following of a custom, rule, or law the keeping of religious laws and traditions

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as in shape

a state of being or fitness the estate hasn't been in good keeping since the owner suffered financial reverses

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keeping

2 of 2

verb

present participle of keep

as in celebrating

to mark with an appropriate practice, rite, or ceremony keep the Sabbath by not working

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as in retaining

to continue to have in one's possession or power the money is yours to keep keep my secret and don't tell it to anyone

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as in fulfilling

to do what is required by the terms of make sure you keep your promise to help out at the homeless shelter

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as in storing

to place somewhere for safekeeping or ready availability I keep extra toothbrushes for unexpected overnight guests

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as in supporting

to pay the living expenses of agreed to keep both of their children in off-campus housing until they graduated and found jobs

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as in managing

to look after and make decisions about enlisted a relative to keep the store while she was away

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as in controlling

to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression) try to keep your composure no matter what happens

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as in protecting

to drive danger or attack away from may God bless and keep you

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of keeping

Noun

Below, members of Forbes Technology Council identify workloads companies may want to reconsider moving—or keeping—in the public cloud and explain why another environment may sometimes make more sense. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 24 Sep. 2026 Though 2026 has been the 15th driest year in Central Florida since record-keeping began over a century ago, regular and sometimes heavy afternoon downpours this month have provided good conditions for Aedes aegypti. — Stephen Hudak, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026

Verb

Family visitation is prohibited, as is keeping photos of loved ones, according to the letter. — Claire Healy, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026 Getting to the next level, and keeping more waste in circulation, will rely on brand and manufacturing partners upstream designing with circularity in mind. — Bella Webb, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for keeping

Recent Examples of Synonyms for keeping

Noun

When several of the women refused to surrender the children to Xuan and Zhang after abuse allegations surfaced last year, Majerus said, the couple’s attorney discouraged them from fighting for custody.

— James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
The suspect was identified as Blair, who was taken into custody and later transported to a hospital for evaluation.

— Mark Morales, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of custody

Noun

As a critical first step, the intelligence committees should initiate a thorough oversight investigation into how the norm has been implemented in practice and the current administration’s adherence to its prohibitions.

— DAVID S. COHEN, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2026
The senator’s adherence to an obvious script suggests that thinking on her feet isn’t a strong suit.

— Kathleen Parker, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of adherence

Noun

Propagating the Chair To understand the geometric intuition behind the Chair44 shape, Tsiokos says, imagine a large cube composed of eight tiny cubes that are joined together.

— Rachel Crowell, Scientific American, 12 Oct. 2026
Chez Fonfon sits at the crux of Five Points South, a neighborhood named for five streets that converge in a star shape where streetcars connecting the then suburb of Highland to the city once rumbled.

— Leslie Pariseau, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of shape

Verb

The Shangri-La Paris played host to an evening of conversations, cocktails and dinner celebrating the launch.

— Vogue Business, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2026
Dozens of family and friends gathered outside Wildwood Elementary School in Culver City on Saturday for a memorial celebrating Rodriguez.

— Breaking News, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of celebrating

Verb

While retaining the distinctive tabi construction of its archival reference, the collaborative series introduces thicker bases and more substantial proportions to create a new expression.

— Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
Kapoor will lead the creative direction, with Balaji retaining the underlying IP while tapping YouTube’s global distribution and advertising business — a savvy expansion that doesn’t involve surrendering ownership of her stories.

— Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of retaining

Verb

The research of Soai, along with that of Kagan, contributed to fulfilling the remaining two criteria, for which the duo received the 2026 Nobel Prize for Chemistry.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Oct. 2026
In August, his wife, Rivka, gave birth to a daughter, fulfilling a promise that Bohbot made to himself in the tunnels to give his 5-year-old son, Reem, a sibling.

— Frank Andrews, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of fulfilling

Verb

The attackers apparently had access to the servers storing the data for months, from October 2025 to July 2026, and, even worse, the data was unencrypted.

— Alex Colon, PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026
Throughout August, warehouses storing books belonging to Ukrainian publishers also came under Russian attack.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026