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Definition of keep down phrasal verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

keep down

phrasal verb
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keep down
  1. to hide yourself by not standing up straight
    • Keep down! You mustn't let anyone see you.
keep somebody down
  1. to prevent a person, group, etc. from expressing themselves freely synonym oppress
    • The people have been kept down for years by a brutal regime.
    • You can’t keep Laura down—she’s so full of life.
keep something down
  1. to make something stay at a low level; to avoid increasing something
    • to keep down wages/prices/the cost of living
    • Keep your voice down—I don't want anyone else to hear.
    • Keep the noise down (= be quiet).
  2. to not bring something back through the mouth from the stomach; to not vomit
    • She's had some water but she can't keep any food down.
See keep down in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
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