keep (one's) word
(redirected from keeps one's word)keep (one's) word
To do as one has promised. Tom always keeps his word, so if he promised to help you move, then he'll be here.
keep one's word
to uphold one's promise; to do as one says. (The opposite of break one's word.) I told her I'd be there to pick her up, and I intend to keep my word. Keeping one's word is necessary in the legal profession.
keep one's word
Honor one's promises, as in You can count on Richard; he'll keep his word. This expression employs word in the sense of "a promise," a usage dating from the late 1500s. For an antonym, see go back on.