Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
to keep off the streets

to keep off the streets

1 3.9
Stay away from the streets to avoid danger
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : mantenerse alejado de las calles
  • To stay safe during the protests, many students chose to keep off the streets altogether.

Examples

  • After the recent spike in crime, residents were advised to keep off the streets at night.

  • The community center provides programs to help teens keep off the streets and out of trouble.

  • Civil Defense authorities are warning all civilians to keep off the streets.

    The Three Stooges in Orbit (1962)

Synonyms

to avoid
vsto keep off the streets
∞ 1.0

To stay away from something or not do it to stop something bad from happening

focuses specifically on not being outdoors at public roads to stay safe
to stay away from
vsto keep off the streets
384 2.3

Avoid going near people or places for safety

is about avoiding being outdoors at public locations to stay safe
to keep away
vsto keep off the streets
187 1.6

Stop someone or something from coming near

is about avoiding being in public places oneself for safety reasons
to stay off
vsto keep off the streets
57 2.6

Avoid walking on places like wet grass or a freshly painted floor

is focused on avoiding public roads for safety
to steer clear of
vsto keep off the streets
  • Informal
34 4.0

To stay away from people and things that may cause trouble or harm

is about keeping away from dangerous public areas rather than general dangers

Antonyms

to wander the streets
11 2.9

To walk around a town or city without a clear purpose

How Safe

to keep off the streets
1 3.9
to go out
893 1.0

Surface Forms

keep off the streets infinitive
keeping off the streets present participle
keeps off the streets third person singular
kept off the streets past
kept off the streets past participle

Morphology

keep + off + the + street

The meaning is directly derivable from the parts: 'keep' (prevent/maintain) + 'off' (away from) + 'the streets' yields 'stay away from the streets'. This is a common phrasal-verb/compositional pattern (e.g. 'keep off the grass') and is likely immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.

Etymology

Keep off the streets may come from old warnings when towns were unsafe: people were told to keep off the streets and stay inside during curfews, bad weather, or street fights. That's why today it means 'to avoid being on the streets' or 'to stay safe'.