Keep back
2 meanings · select one to explore
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Meaning 1 of 3
Definition
To stay or make someone stay at a distance
Example sentence
Police told the crowd to keep back.
Real video usage
Three clips showing this meaning in natural speech.
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Common collocations
Natural word pairings to memorize.
Common pattern: keep back (from + danger/area)
keep back from the edge
keep back from the fire
told to keep back
keep the crowd back
keep back a safe distance
Separable usage
Can the object split the verb? Compare correct vs incorrect.
The barrier keeps people back from the stage. ✅ (Correct — often separated with an object)
The barrier keeps back people from the stage. ❌ (Incorrect)