Dictionary: letter K

keep away avoid someone or avoid going somewhere

• Keep away from me!

keep back [keep something back] (emotions, anger, tears, information, evidence, ideas, crowd) control something or keep it secret hold back

• The minister gave a press conference to explain the whole thing but we knew he was keeping something back.

keep down [keep something down] (prices, spending, noise, voice, weight) not increase something or keep it at a low level

• Keep the noise down; I'm trying to do some work!
• Keep it down, will you?
• How do you expect me to keep prices down when inflation is now running at 5%? 

keep off [keep off something] (insep) (grass, the street, alcohol, cigarettes) avoid something or not touch it

• Keep your hands off me!
• Try and keep off fatty foods.
• Try to keep off the subject; there's no need to hurt her feelings. 

keep on 1 continue doing continue doing something carry on, go on

• I said hello but he didn't say anything; he just kept on watching the television.

2 continue wearing [keep something on] continue wearing something

• You can keep your hat on!
• Keep your coat on; it's a bit cold in here.

keep on at/about [keep on at something, keep on about something] continue talking to someone or about something in a boring or annoying way

• Do you have to keep on about your daughter the whole morning?
• Keep on at her until she tells you. 

keep out [keep out, keep someone out]stay outside or prevent someone or something from entering

• Private property; keep out!
• They've put up a fence to keep out intruders.

keep to [keep to something] (path, subject, arrangement, routine, plan, rules, regulation, promise, minimum) do what you are supposed to do stick to

• I know you don't like the agreement but we have to keep to it.
• Keep to the path; it's easy to get lost in that part of the mountain.

keep up (with) [keep something up, keep up with someone] (conversation, payments, pace, speed, good work) continue doing something or remain at the same level

• Keep up the good work!
• They coach spoke to the players to try and keep their morale up.
• It's the same story every year; salaries don't keep up with the cost of living.
• You're going too fast; I can't keep up.

idiom keep up appearences try to make people believe that you have a lot of money and everything is all right when, in fact, that is not true any more

kick in (insep) (claim, reality, benefits, recovery) begin to take effect

• I think reality has just kicked in.
• It must be taken for several days before the full effect kicks in.
• If the pain kicks in again, you've got the nurse's number and mine.

kick off (insep) start

• Let's kick off with a little bit of music.
• The tour is going to kick off right here in Atlanta, June 20th at the Lakewood Amphitheater.
• The carnival in Rio de Janeiro kicks off on 5 February.

kick out [kick someone out] tell someone to leave as place as they are no longer welcome there

• He was kicked out for being rude.

kick up [kick something up] (controversy, fuss, row, stink) complain or react angrily to something, maybe causing a problem Stir up

• After kicking up a fuss we got a room overlooking the pool.
• She has kicked up a controversy with her racial remarks.

kit out [kit someone out, kit something out] get all the clothes or things you need to do something

• We can go to Oxford Street and get ourselves kitted out.

knock back 1 drink [knock something back] drink something quickly

• He knocked back his drink and poured another.
• He knocked back his beer and left.

2 cost [knock someone back something] cost set back

• The new car knocked me back quite a bit.

3 reject [knock something back] (offer, plan, proposal) reject something

• A controversial planning proposal has been knocked back by the government.
• The player knocked back their offer to join the club.
• I can't keep chasing you for ever and getting knocked back.

4 delay [knock someone back] be a slight problem and delay you set back

• The West Ham result has knocked us back a bit.
• The goal has knocked them back a bit.
• That defeat knocked us back a fair bit.

knock off 1 finish work (insep) finish work

• Yesterday afternoon the guys decided to just knock off early and go bowling.

2 reduce (pounds) reduce something

• I managed to get them to knock $300 off the price.

knock over [knock something/someone over] hit something and make it fall to the ground

• He staggered around the restaurant knocking over some tables.
• The car knocked over a man on a bicycle.

knock up 1 [knock something up] make something quickly and easily

• I've knocked up a playlist of everything we've been listening to lately.

2 [knock someone up] (British, informal) make a woman pregnant

• My friend knocked up a girl even though she was on the pill.

knuckle down (insep) start working hard; apply yourself buckle down

• The government must knuckle down to meet the deadlines.

For other verbs and to get more examples build your own lists in the Lists section.