keep to

English

Verb

keep to (third-person singular simple present keeps to, present participle keeping to, simple past and past participle kept to)

1. To adhere strictly to; not to neglect or deviate from.
   • 2001, D. W. Ruiter, Legal Institutions, page 60:

     For example, the legal rule expressed by the provision "All road-users must keep to the right." projects as a possible general condition of the legal system that being road-user causes the obligation to keep to the right.

   • 2006, Kerstin Westin, Jörgen Garvill, Agneta Marell, “1.3: Intelligent Speed Adaptation”, in Bart Jourquin, Piet Rietveld, Kerstin Westin, editors, Towards Better Performing Transport Networks, page 76:

     No change is noted for two of the statements; if they keep to the speed limits a queue behind them is created and it is more important to adjust to the traffic pace than keeping to the speed limits.

   • 2008, E. Jardien, F. Parker, N. Wolhunter, FET College Series Level 3: Construction Carpentry and Roof Work, page 257:

     They will have a lot more respect for you if you are honest, rather than not keeping to your deadlines.

   • 2016, unidentified patient, quoted in Judy Gable, Tamara Herrmann, Counselling Skills for Dietitians, 3rd Edition, page 125,

     I was very good, though – I kept to my diet all the time.

Synonyms

• (adhere strictly to): stick to

Derived terms

• keep to oneself
• keep to one's knitting