keep sb/sth from sth
— phrasal verb with keep uk/kiːp/us/kiːp/verb kept, kept
C2 to prevent someone or something from doing something:
[ + -ing verb ] Try to keep the children from throwing food all over the floor.
Am I keeping you from your work?
More examples
- It would be better if we could keep the baby from falling asleep until we get home.
- I use this piece of wood to keep the door from blowing shut.
- Jack is doing everything he can to keep the business from failing.
- My husband always keeps me from getting too depressed about work.
- Wrapping bread and storing it in the fridge keeps it from going stale so quickly.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Preventing and impeding
- avert
- avoid
- avoidable
- bar
- be a drag on sb/sth idiom
- block sth out
- blot
- bottleneck
- derail
- fireproof
- hold out on sb
- hold sb/sth back
- hold/keep sb/sth at bay idiom
- holding pattern
- impede
- prevention is better than cure idiom
- preventive
- prohibit
- pull
- pull the rug from under sb's feet idiom
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