English Reference
Idiom idiom

keep pace


To run at the same speed as a pacesetter

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

I cannot keep pace with you when you walk so fast.

CONTEXTUAL

The new student struggled to keep pace with the rest of the class during the difficult math lesson.

COMPLEX

As the global market evolves rapidly, many traditional companies find it increasingly difficult to keep pace with the innovative strategies of their younger competitors.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    change of pace

    A shift from one activity to another

  2. 02

    cobbler, keep to your last

    One should not criticise matters outside one's field of expertise; one should mind one's business.

  3. 03

    earn one's keep

    To perform satisfactory physical labor or to provide other worthy services in return for remuneration, lodging, or other benefits; to support oneself financially.

  4. 04

    gift that keeps on giving

    Something with continuous (typically positive) consequences.

  5. 05

    handbags at ten paces

    Synonym of handbags at dawn (“a catty squabble”).

  6. 06

    keep a civil tongue in one's head

    To maintain a polite manner of speaking.

  7. 07

    keep a close watch

    to pay careful attention to a situation or a thing, so that you can deal with any changes or problems.

  8. 08

    keep a cool head

    To keep one's cool; to stay calm.

Last updated August 10, 2026