keep off
Britishverb
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to stay or cause to stay at a distance (from)
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(preposition) not to eat or drink or prevent from eating or drinking
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(preposition) to avoid or cause to avoid (a topic)
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(intr, adverb) not to start
the rain kept off all day
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Ward off, avert, as in She used a bug spray to keep off the mosquitoes . [Mid-1500s]
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Stay away from, not touch or trespass on; also, prevent from touching or trespassing. For example, They put up a sign asking the public to keep off their property , or Please keep your feet off the sofa . [Late 1500s] Also see hands off .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Dennis' first ever story, in black and white, involved him getting into trouble for failing to heed a warning to keep off the grass.
From BBC • Feb. 19, 2026
In mid-December, however, Lilly produced new data showing that it worked well at helping patients keep off weight they had previously lost on Lilly’s injectable Zepbound and Novo’s injectable Wegovy.
From Barron's • Dec. 28, 2025
Thibault pays close attention to the date of the tree’s first flowering, and not just because that’s when he needs to cover his Jeep to keep off sticky fallen purple flowers.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2024
“The biggest thing is they’re so hard to keep off the glass,” Smith said.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 21, 2024
But whatever is making the sound stays within the confines of the jungle and we keep off that part of the beach in case they’re just waiting for a carelessly placed footfall to swarm out.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
