1. Home
2. Idioms
3. keep pace

keep pace

---

---

keep pace

 (with someone or something)

1. Lit. to move at the same speed as someone, something, or an animal; to match someone or some creature pace for pace. The black horse was having a hard time keeping pace with the brown one. Tom runs very fast and I couldn't keep pace with him.

2. Fig. to manage to move, learn, change, etc., at the same rate as someone or something. Bill can't keep pace with the geometry class. You've just got to keep pace.

See also: keep, pace

keep pace (with somebody/something)

to stay at the same level as someone or something We get regular pay raises that are supposed to keep pace with inflation.

See also: keep, pace

keep pace

Also, keep up. Go at the same rate as others, not fall behind. For example, The teacher told his mother that Jimmy was not keeping up with the class. Shakespeare had the first term in A Midsummer Night's Dream (3:2): "My legs cannot keep pace with my desires." [Late 1500s]

See also: keep, pace

keep pace

To stay even with others, as in a contest.

See also: keep, pace