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keep your word — do as promised

collocationB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon

To do what you said you would do or promised to do.

Say it like a native

Textbook He fulfilled his verbal commitment.

Native He kept his word.

'Keep your word' is the set phrase; 'fulfil a verbal commitment' is formal.

Pattern: keep + your/his/her/their word

In use

  • You can trust Anna to keep her word; she always does what she says.daily life
  • In my opinion, it's important to keep your word because it builds trust between people.IELTS speaking

Common mistake

✗ He held his word.

✓ He kept his word.

You KEEP your word — not 'hold' it.

Common collocations

  • keep your word — keep, break, always, a man of

Don't confuse it

The opposite is 'break your word,' which means not doing what you promised.

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