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Glite Dictionary
to keep organized

to keep organized

4 2.1
To make things tidy and put them in their places
  • phrasal verb
  • US
translation icon : mantener organizado
  • I struggle daily to keep my life organized, along with my never-ending battle to keep the house clean.
  • keep things organized
  • help keep things organized
  • keep the kids organized

It's almost like time and Mother Nature and life cannot keep it all organized.

Examples

  • Also, I want to keep things organized, and besides, it's not that much work after all.

    Blog text (3)

  • Store all of your files on your computer so that you can keep them organized by project or client.

    Blog text (15)

  • I have a hard enough time trying to keep myself organized, let alone the rest of them!

    Blog text (22)

  • I have trouble getting my family to help keep things organized.

    Blog text (22)

  • I try, but fail most of the time to keep things organized.

    Blog text (22)

  • I think if I managed my time more wisely, I would be able to keep my stuff organized.

    Blog text (22)

  • Find and utilize a good customer relationship management system to keep your business prospects organized.

    Blog text (8)

  • Here's an easy fix to keep you organized and prepared for potential calls from interviewers while job searching.

    Blog text (16)

  • For someone who follows a lot of blogs, it helped keep me organized, and I made sure I wasn't missing anyone.

    Blog text (8)

  • To maintain a tidy workspace, it is essential to keep organized all your documents and tools.

Synonyms

to organize
vsto keep organized
  • US
662 1.6

Arrange people, things, and activities so they work well

focuses on ongoing care to preserve order rather than a single setup
to clean up
vsto keep organized
433 1.0

To make a room or area free of dirt and tidy by removing mess

is about long term preservation of order rather than a one off removal of mess
to maintain
vsto keep organized
225 3.1

Keep something in good condition by repairing and protecting it

focuses on preserving ongoing order and appearance rather than general repairs
to arrange
vsto keep organized
162 1.7

To put things or information in a clear, neat order

is about ongoing effort to preserve order rather than a one time setup
to straighten
vsto keep organized
161 1.6

Make a place or things tidy and in order

is more about ongoing preservation of order than a single corrective action
to keep up
vsto keep organized
53 3.0

To take care of something so it stays in good condition

emphasizes ongoing order and neat appearance rather than general protection
to make up
vsto keep organized
48 2.6

Tidy a bed or room so it looks neat

focuses on ongoing care to preserve order rather than a one off preparation
to tidy
vsto keep organized
42 1.0

To make a place neat by putting things away

aims at ongoing care to preserve order over time rather than a one off refresh
to tidy up
vsto keep organized
  • Informal
32 1.5

Make a room or desk neat by putting things in their right place

focuses on ongoing preservation of order rather than one off action
to straighten out
vsto keep organized
12 3.2

To make a place tidy and organized

focuses on preserving long term order rather than a one time fixing
to straighten up
vsto keep organized
8 2.7

Make a room neat by putting things away

focuses on ongoing care to preserve order rather than one off rearrangement
to neaten
vsto keep organized
1 3.7

To make something tidy by arranging things in order

targets ongoing care of order rather than a single cosmetic change

Antonyms

to mess up
  • Informal
52 3.0

To make something untidy, dirty, or not in the right place

to disorganize
  • US
4 4.5

To make something lose its order or structure

How Organized

to keep organized
  • US
4 2.1
to tidy up
  • Informal
32 1.5

Surface Forms

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

Morphology

keep + organized

The meaning 'to maintain something in a tidy or orderly condition' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'keep' (to retain or maintain) with the adjective 'organized' (orderly). The construction 'keep + adjective' is a common, compositional English pattern (and has clear equivalents in many languages), so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the intended meaning.

Etymology

The phrase keep organized gives a clear picture: imagine you keep your books and papers on neat shelves or in labelled boxes so everything is organized and easy to find. So it means 'to keep things tidy and in order'.