1. Home
2. Idioms
3. keep at bay

keep at bay

---

---

keep somebody at bay

also hold somebody at bay

to prevent someone from moving closer He held the police at bay with a gun for several hours.

See also: bay, keep

keep something at bay

also hold something at bay

to control something and prevent it from causing you problems She fought to keep her unhappiness at bay. In the garden, there's no security system to keep the rabbits at bay. Experts hope the economy will slow enough to keep inflation at bay.

See also: bay, keep

keep something/somebody at bay

to prevent something or someone unpleasant from coming too near you or harming you If we can keep the rabbits at bay, we should have a good crop of vegetables in the garden. For me, overeating is a way of keeping my feelings at bay.

See also: bay, keep