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to keep safe

to keep safe

9 1.8
To protect people or things from danger
  • phrasal verb
  • /kip seɪf/
translation icon : mantener a salvo
  • I will make sure all your belongings are kept safe.
  • keep safe and secure

Make sure you're all keeping safe and you've got to stay at.

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Examples

Synonyms

to keep
vsto keep safe
1.0

To protect someone or something from harm

focuses on preventing harm rather than primarily restraining or stopping change
to protect
vsto keep safe
1.0

To keep someone or something safe from harm

is the longer phrase expressing the same action
to save
vsto keep safe
1.0

Rescue someone or something from danger

usually covers ongoing prevention rather than acting after danger has happened
to defend
vsto keep safe
1.3

To protect people and things from attack or harm

focuses on preventing harm generally rather than engaging in active combat
to preserve
vsto keep safe
496 3.4

To keep people and things safe from harm or change

focuses on preventing harm rather than holding things unchanged
to cover
vsto keep safe
352 1.9

To protect someone, for example by guarding them in a game

refers to general prevention of harm rather than role-specific help
to shield
vsto keep safe
146 2.7

To protect someone or something from harm

is focused on preventing harm broadly rather than only blocking specific harms
to guard
vsto keep safe
84 1.3

To take care to avoid a problem or danger

means general prevention of harm rather than specific cautious measures
to shield from
vsto keep safe
56 3.3

To protect people or things from harm

is about general prevention rather than creating a physical barrier
to safeguard
vsto keep safe
45 3.7

To protect someone or something from harm

is broader and means stopping harm in general rather than specific measures
to ward
vsto keep safe
43 4.8

To keep someone or something safe from harm

is the general act of preventing harm rather than a watching duty
to watch each other's back
vsto keep safe
  • Informal
4 4.1

Look out for each other in dangerous situations

refers to a single person preventing harm rather than mutual group support
to shield against
vsto keep safe
3 3.8

To protect a person or thing from harm

is a general action to prevent harm rather than forming a physical barrier
to forfend
vsto keep safe
  • Archaic
2 9.9

To stop danger or harm from happening

means general prevention rather than actively stopping specific events early
to enhance safety
vsto keep safe
1 3.2

Reduce the chance of harm to people or places

involves direct action to stop harm rather than altering existing risk controls
to forefend
vsto keep safe
  • Archaic
9.9

To stop something bad from happening

is about general prevention rather than this focused early stopping action

Antonyms

479 3.2

Put someone in a situation where they can be harmed by something

124 3.7

To put someone or something in danger of harm

How Protective

to protect
1.0
to keep safe
9 1.8
to guard
418 1.0
to watch over
145 2.3

Surface Forms

keep safe infinitive
keeping safe present participle
keeps safe third person singular
kept safe past
kept safe past participle

Morphology

keep + safe

The meaning is directly compositional: 'keep' (protect, maintain) combined with 'safe' (protected from danger) yields 'keep safe' meaning 'ensure something remains protected.' This verb + adjective construction is a transparent, cross-linguistically common pattern that a B1 learner who knows both words will readily understand.

Etymology

Keep safe comes from the simple image of using keep to 'hold' something close or put it in a locked safe so it cannot be harmed. So, keep safe means 'to protect someone or something from danger or loss'.