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keep

/kiːp/noun · verb

Keep can refer to the financial means whereby one lives, the main tower within the walls of a medieval castle or fortress, or a cell in a jail or prison. As a verb, keep can mean to cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity, continue a certain state, condition, or activity, or stop (someone or something) from doing something or being in a certain state.

25 meanings4 lettersScrabble 10

Length

4

Scrabble

10

WWF

11

Starts

KE

Ends

EEP

Difficulty

Easy

Dictionary

What Does “KEEP” Mean?

/kiːp/

keep has 25 documented senses across noun, verb.

Noun

3 senses
1

the financial means whereby one lives

each child was expected to pay for their keep

he applied to the state for support

he could no longer earn his own livelihood

2

the main tower within the walls of a medieval castle or fortress

3

a cell in a jail or prison

Synonyms

Verb

22 senses
1

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity

hold in place

She always held herself as a lady

The students keep me on my toes

Synonyms

2

continue a certain state, condition, or activity

Keep on working!

We continued to work into the night

Keep smiling

We went on working until well past midnight

3

retain possession of

Can I keep my old stuffed animals?

She kept her maiden name after she married

They keep the money

4

stop (someone or something) from doing something or being in a certain state

We must prevent the cancer from spreading

His snoring kept me from falling asleep

Keep the child from eating the marbles

They keep him from writing the letter

Synonyms

5

conform one's action or practice to

keep appointments

she never keeps her promises

We kept to the original conditions of the contract

Synonyms

6

stick to correctly or closely

The pianist kept time with the metronome

keep count

I cannot keep track of all my employees

Show 16 more verb definitions
7

look after; be the keeper of; have charge of

He keeps the shop when I am gone

8

maintain by writing regular records

keep a diary

maintain a record

keep notes

Synonyms

9

supply with room and board

He is keeping three women in the guest cottage

keep boarders

Sam cannot keep Sue

10

allow to remain in a place or position or maintain a property or feature

We cannot continue several servants any longer

She retains a lawyer

The family's fortune waned and they could not keep their household staff

Our grant has run out and we cannot keep you on

11

supply with necessities and support

She alone sustained her family

The money will sustain our good cause

There's little to earn and many to keep

12

fail to spoil or rot

These potatoes keep for a long time

This food does keep well

13

behave as expected during holidays or rites

Keep the commandments

celebrate Christmas

Observe Yom Kippur

14

maintain in safety from injury, harm, or danger

May God keep you

Synonyms

15

to rear

She keeps a few chickens in the yard

he keeps bees

16

retain rights to

keep my job for me while I give birth

keep my seat, please

keep open the possibility of a merger

Synonyms

17

store or keep customarily

Where do you keep your gardening tools?

18

have as a supply

I always keep batteries in the freezer

keep food for a week in the pantry

She keeps a sixpack and a week's worth of supplies in the refrigerator

19

maintain for use and service

I keep a car in the countryside

She keeps an apartment in Paris for her shopping trips

Synonyms

20

hold and prevent from leaving

The student was kept after school

21

prevent the action or expression of

hold back your anger

keep your cool

she struggled to restrain her impatience at the delays

Synonyms

22

prevent (food) from rotting

preserved meats

keep potatoes fresh

Synonyms

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

4

Vowels

2

Consonants

2

Word Intelligence

Explore the word keep with its definition, score, letter pattern, and useful word game details.

Definition

the financial means whereby one lives

Length

4 letters

Starts With

K

Ends With

P

Vowels

2

Consonants

2

Letters

K, E, E, P

Use Case

Useful for Scrabble, Wordle, crosswords, anagrams, and other word games.

Letter Breakdown

k
e
e
p

Word Facts

Key letter, score, and pattern facts for keep.

KEEP is a 4-letter word.
It has a Scrabble score of 10.
It starts with K and ends with P.
It contains 2 vowels and 2 consonants.
Its vowel share is about 50%.
It has 1 repeated letter.
It is not a palindrome.
Letter pattern: ABBC.
Vowel/consonant pattern: CVVC.

Word Strategy

Strategy notes for using keep in Scrabble, Wordle-style games, crosswords, and anagram solving.

Scrabble Strategy

★★★★☆

KEEP has a Scrabble score of 10. It is useful for balancing a rack and building steady board position.

Wordle Strategy

★★☆☆☆

KEEP is not five letters, so it is not a standard Wordle answer, but its letter pattern can still help with word analysis.

Crossword Strategy

★★★★☆

KEEP can be useful in crossword solving because it has a clear starting letter, ending letter, and 4-letter structure.

Anagram Strategy

★★★☆☆

KEEP contains repeated letters, which can make anagram solving more constrained but also easier to pattern-match.

Letter Intelligence

A deeper look at the letter structure, patterns, and useful game signals inside keep.

Unique Letters

3

Repeated Letters

1

Highest Value Letter

K

Letter Pattern

ABBC

CV Pattern

CVVC

Vowel Share

50%

Consonant Share

50%

Bigrams

KE, EE, EP

Trigrams

KEE, EEP

Crossword Intelligence

Crossword-style clues, crossing help, and pattern notes for keep.

KEEP is a 4-letter short fill.
It starts with K and ends with P, which helps narrow crossword crossings.
It contains 2 vowels and 2 consonants.
Its vowel/consonant pattern is CVVC.
Crossword difficulty estimate: Easy.

Related Words

Word Usage Insights

Practical observations about how this word performs in different word games and puzzle situations.

This word contains 4 letters and is suitable for medium-length word games.
Its consonant/vowel pattern is CVVC, making it relatively easy to recognize.
With a Scrabble score of 10, it offers moderate scoring potential.
The word begins with K and ends with P, making it useful for solving pattern-based puzzles.
Some letters repeat, which can be useful when identifying anagrams.

Word Intelligence Links

Explore word lists connected to KEEP by length, score, vowels, consonants, starting letters, ending letters, and word game tools.

Word Family

Explore words that share a similar beginning or root pattern with keep.

Related Word Tools

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