to keep it together
27
5.4
- phrasal verb
- Informal
:
controlarse
- When things got tough during the meeting, she managed to keep it together and stay composed.
- trying to keep it together
- just keep it together
- got to keep it together
Stay off those rooftops, stay off the pills, keep it together because the stats are out there.
- Stay off those rooftops, stay off the pills, keep it together because the stats are out there.
- Anyone can keep it together on a good day, but it's the bad days.
- Don't judge me for my wells, I'm just trying to keep it together.
- I hope that you guys are keeping it together.
- Maybe I should go and see someone or I don't know, but I'm keeping it together.
- Oh my God, I have to talk here pretty soon, so I had to keep it together.
- My friends who will watch this, I'm sure will laugh, but your question because they know what I'm going to say, but I didn't I did not keep it together for a while.
- You know, that's so you'd you have to keep it together enough.
- This is impossible in this actress is just like trying so hard to keep it together to do her part.
Examples
-
I was coming apart and was afraid I would just melt into nothing, but I had to keep it together.
Blog text (13) -
Listen, I need you to keep it together, please.
-
Anyone can keep it together on a good day, but it's the bad days.
-
Just keep it together for now, all right?
-
I want you to keep it together!
-
Okay, I gotta go, but I promise, Ben, I will keep it together, okay?
-
Come on, keep it together.
-
When I went to work on Monday, it was all I could do to keep it together.
Fiction book (1999) -
Ruby is scared, but trying to keep it together.
Fiction book (1994) -
Blame Kermit and hope you guys are all staying safe and keeping it together, not losing your mind while stuck at home.
Synonyms
264
3.7
Keep power over a situation and stay calm
81
5.1
Get control of your feelings and calm down after being upset
61
5.6
Stay calm and control your feelings in a difficult situation
56
5.6
To calm down and control your feelings
30
3.4
Stay calm and control your feelings when things are hard
27
4.5
Act calm and relaxed to hide nervousness
3
3.9
Stay calm and not get angry or excited in a difficult situation
1
4.4
Stay calm and not get angry in a difficult situation
To stay calm and in control during a difficult situation
Stay calm and think clearly in a difficult or dangerous situation
Antonyms
How Composed
Surface Forms
Morphology
The core meanings 'keep' (maintain) and 'together' (in one piece / united) combine to give a clear sense of maintaining unity or composure, so an average B1 learner who knows the constituents can often infer the general idea. However, the pronoun 'it' is context-dependent and the phrase is used idiomatically to mean emotional self-control or group cohesion rather than a literal togetherness, so the precise interpretation is not fully predictable without exposure.
Etymology
Keep it together comes from the image of someone holding themselves so they do not fall apart, like a fragile object you hold in your hands. That's why it means 'to stay calm and in control'.