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🔁 To continue 🛡️ To protect 📦 To store 🤝 To fulfill 🐶 To care for 🥫 To stay fresh 💰 Support or cost 🏰 Main tower 🚪 A jail cell
keep

keep

21 5.5
Money or food needed to live
  • noun
  • /kip/
: sustento
  • I was the sole scholarship student at C, and I was made to work for my keep.
  • earn one's keep

And that has to change the way in which we earn our keep.

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Examples

  • Are you ready to earn your keep?

    36 Husbands (2019)

  • Well, Max said I had to earn my keep.

    Lights Out (2024)

  • As long as you pay your keep, we'll get along.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • It's time to earn your keep, Doc.

    2010: Moby Dick (2010)

  • Come on, let's earn our keep, some of you at least.

    Eulogy (2020)

  • It's time you earned your keep.

    Broken City (2013)

  • Well, I for one just want to earn my keep and keep what I earn.

    Blog text (33)

  • But now, my friend, comes the time for us to earn our keep.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • "Enclosed you find money, to pay for their keep."

    Babes in Toyland (1997)

  • After working hard for several months, I was finally able to earn my keep and pay my rent.

Synonyms

living
vskeep
715 2.3

Money someone earns to support themselves

is about the costs or needs of food shelter rather than where money comes from
support
vskeep
223 1.0

Money given to help a person or project

is about personal costs or means for living rather than external assistance
livelihood
vskeep
88 3.5

A way of earning money to pay for basic needs

is broader covering costs or means not only earned through work
bread and butter
vskeep
  • Informal
24 3.0

The main way a person earns money

is about the overall cost or means of living rather than the main income source
maintenance
vskeep
10 3.6

Providing food and other needs so a person or family can live

is a term for costs or means rather than the action of providing them
sustenance
vskeep
4 6.4

Money or work that helps you live

is broader focusing on costs for food shelter and other necessities

Idioms

to keep the peace
42 3.7

Prevent people from arguing or fighting so things stay calm

to keep a low profile
41 3.9

Act quietly so people do not notice you

to keep it simple
35 2.7

Make something easy to understand by not adding extra details

to keep up appearances
  • Informal
11 6.7

Act as if everything is fine in front of other people

to keep a close watch
10 3.0

Look at a person or thing very carefully for a while to notice problems

to keep head above water
  • Informal
9 4.7

To avoid serious money problems during hard times

to keep your pants on
  • Informal
7 8.6

Stay calm and be patient

to keep up with the Joneses
  • Informal
5 7.5

Try to have the same things and life as neighbors to appear successful

to keep up with the times
4 3.9

Stay modern by learning about new trends

to keep someone's head in the game
  • Informal
4 7.4

To stay focused and calm in a difficult situation

to keep it in the family
  • Informal
4 7.1

To not tell people outside the family about important things

to keep someone on edge
  • Informal
4 7.4

Make someone feel nervous and unsure about what will happen

to keep a cool head
3 3.9

Stay calm and not get angry or excited in a difficult situation

to keep the home fires burning
  • Archaic
2 6.4

Make the home warm and caring while someone is away

to keep one's eyes open
2 3.8

Watch carefully for danger or a chance

to keep your head on a swivel
  • Informal
1 8.1

To stay very alert and watch what is happening around you

to keep an eye peeled
  • Informal
1 6.0

Watch carefully for something you expect to see

to keep the wolf from the door
  • Informal
1 8.1

Have just enough money to avoid hunger or poverty

to keep the pot boiling
  • Informal
1 7.2

To make people stay interested and active in a project

to keep your knickers on
  • UK
1 9.6

Stay calm and do not become angry or upset

to keep one's mouth shut
  • Informal
1 5.6

To say nothing to avoid trouble or keep a secret

to keep it juicy
1 7.9

To keep meat or other food moist while cooking so it stays soft

to keep the conversation lively
1 3.7

Make the conversation interesting and fun so people want to talk more

to keep your stick on the ice
  • Jargon
1 9.9

Stay alert and ready to move, like resting a hockey stick on the ice

to keep your tits on
  • Offensive
1 9.9

Stay calm and do not get angry or impatient

to keep someone's pecker up
  • Archaic
1 9.9

Stay cheerful and hopeful during hard times

to keep one's ears open
  • Informal
1 3.7

Stay alert to hear useful news or information

to keep a tight ship
1 6.5

Run a team or group strictly and efficiently

to keep one's temper
1 4.4

Stay calm and not get angry in a difficult situation

to keep one's eyes peeled
  • Informal
1 4.6

Watch carefully for something important or dangerous

to keep one's head
1 4.6

Stay calm and think clearly in a difficult or dangerous situation

to keep one's fingers crossed
  • Informal
1 3.5

To hope something will turn out well

to keep a dog and bark yourself
  • UK
1 9.9

To do work yourself when you hired someone else to do it

to keep one's chin up
  • Informal
1 6.5

To stay cheerful and hopeful when things go wrong

to keep one's eye on the ball
  • Informal
1 5.6

Pay attention to the main goal and avoid distractions

to take a licking and keep on ticking
  • Archaic
1 9.2

To keep going without giving up after facing many hard times

to keep one's cool
  • Informal
1 3.4

Stay calm and control your feelings when things are hard

to keep one's sanity
1 7.0

To stay calm and able to think clearly under stress

cobbler, keep to your last
  • Archaic
9.9

To tell someone to stick to what they know

to earn one's keep
  • Informal
3.4

Do enough work, paid or not, to pay for food and a place to live

to keep it between the ditches
  • Informal
9.9

To stay within safe limits and avoid getting into trouble

to keep on (one's) toes
  • Informal
5.8

Make someone stay alert and ready for surprises

to keep one's cakehole shut
  • Offensive
9.9

Not say anything or tell other people

to keep it one hundred
  • Slang
9.7

To be completely honest and direct with someone

to keep one's cards close to one's chest
  • Informal
7.6

To not tell people your plans or feelings to get an advantage

to keep one's head down
6.3

Avoid getting noticed to stay out of trouble

to keep one's nose clean
  • Informal
6.8

To avoid trouble and not attract bad attention

to keep one's nose to the grindstone
  • Informal
7.7

To work hard for a long time on a difficult task without stopping

to keep one's options open
4.2

To avoid choosing now so other choices remain

to keep one's pants on
  • Informal
8.5

To stay calm and patient instead of getting angry

to keep one's distance (from)
4.2

To stay away from people or things to avoid close contact

to keep one's ear to the ground
  • Informal
6.5

To pay close attention to what people say and do to know what is happening

Compounds

keep relay
  • Specialized
1 8.2

An electrical switch that stays in its last on or off position without power

How Comfortable

comfort
7 1.5
to support
490 1.4
keep
21 5.5
livelihood
88 3.5
subsistence
16 6.6

Surface Forms

keep singular
keeps plural

Etymology

Keep as a noun for living costs comes from the same idea of keep 'to hold' or 'support'; your 'keep' is what you need to be held and cared for, like food and a place to live.