Choose the correct meaning of idiom: Keep at bay

Correct — B. To keep something at bay is to stop it from coming near or doing harm: 'A good diet helps keep illness at bay.'

The idiom is about distance, holding a threat off without destroying it → option (b), To keep away or at a safe distance.

Why the others are wrong

• (a)
  To monitor closely — To monitor closely means watching something, which needs no distance at all. Keeping at bay is about holding a threat off, not observing it.
• (c)
  To defeat completely — To defeat completely ends the threat. Keeping something at bay only holds it off: the danger is still there, just kept from coming closer.
• (d)
  To take advantage of — To take advantage of means exploiting someone or something for your own gain. Keeping at bay gains nothing; it keeps a danger away.

At bay comes from hunting. A hunted animal at bay is cornered and has turned to face the hounds closing in on it.

To keep or hold someone at bay is to be the one holding the attackers off, so they cannot close in.

The object is a threat or a nuisance: keep hunger, infection, creditors or critics at bay.

Key facts

• Keep at bay means to prevent someone or something from coming near or causing harm.
• Hold at bay is used in the same sense.
• An animal at bay is cornered and forced to face its pursuers.

Common traps

• Choosing To defeat completely because keeping an enemy at bay sounds like winning, when the threat has only been held off
• Confusing keep at bay with keep an eye on, which is about watching

No directly related past PYQ was found.