ENGLISH
REFERENCE

keep out

phr. v..
A2 Elementary Oxford General-service

phr. v.. to stay away from a place, or to stop someone or something from entering.

phr. v.. to remain outside a specified area or to prevent entry; functions as both an intransitive imperative and a transitive verb.


SIMPLE

The sign on the gate says 'Keep Out'.

CONTEXTUAL

We used a tall fence to keep out the neighborhood cats from our garden.

COMPLEX

Despite the heavy security measures intended to keep out unauthorized personnel, several protesters managed to breach the perimeter during the summit.

Particles
out
Separability
optional
Pattern
keep + (object) + out
Usage

often used as a command on signs; when transitive, the object can go between 'keep' and 'out'.

Teaching tip

teach as a high-frequency safety sign first; then introduce the transitive form 'keep [something] out' to show how the meaning extends to protection.

Pitfall

The wall keeps out to the cold.The wall keeps out the cold.do not use 'to' after 'keep out'; the phrase takes a direct object immediately after the particle.

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