Used and loved by millions

Since I tried Ludwig back in 2017, I have been constantly using it in both editing and translation. Ever since, I suggest it to my translators at ProSciEditing.

Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak

CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com

it couldn't keep up
Grammar usage guide and real-world examples

Table of contents

Usage summary

Human-verified examples

Expert writing tips

Linguistic context

Ludwig's wrap-up

Alternative expressions

FAQs

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

15 human-written examples

Because Bradlees wasn't able to tap the proceeds from the IPO to expand or renovate its aging stores, it couldn't keep up with other retailers.

News & Media

Forbes

Apple shifted more of its products than expected and divulged that it couldn't keep up with demand for its iPhone.One giant stepAmazon took a further stride towards building up its apparel business when it paid $847m for Zappos.com, a footwear retailer.

News & Media

The Economist

Netscape folded because its marketing strategy was a shambles, and because it couldn't keep up with Microsoft's product development.

News & Media

The Guardian - Tech

The former used frequency-hopping spread spectrum exclusively, and although some increase of data rate was provided for beyond the original 1 and 2 Mbps, it couldn't keep up with Wi-Fi, which incorporated new bandwidth efficient modulation methods to increase data rates 50-fold while maintaining compatibility with first generation direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) terminals.

Science

Short-range Wireless Communication Fundamentals of RF System Design and Application

After City Link went bust on Christmas Eve and Yodel admitted it couldn't keep up with demand, Ms Greene said: "Our early Christmas planning, which we started on April 1, paid dividends".

News & Media

Independent

After Jon Moulton's rival City Link went bust on Christmas Eve and Yodel admitted it couldn't keep up with demand, Royal Mail's Canadian boss Moya Greene said: "Our early Christmas planning — we started on April 1 — paid dividends".

News & Media

Independent

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

45 human-written examples

Colum McCann bought rounds of Irish whiskey for me at Durham's James Joyce Irish Pub one night, and when it became obvious that I couldn't keep up with him, he cut me off.

Academia

Duke University

I always felt like it was passing me by and I couldn't keep up.

News & Media

TechCrunch

With all the pregnancies, I couldn't keep up with it anyways.

News & Media

Vice

The Queensland government in March asked the commonwealth for more money, saying it could not keep up its assessments of preschools because funding did not match the spike in the number of early childhood centres.

News & Media

The Guardian

Its biggest seller is pickup trucks; GM claimed it could not keep up with demand.

News & Media

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Explicitly mention the benchmark or target if it is not clear from the immediate context to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using the phrase without a clear antecedent for "it", as this can leave the reader wondering whether you are referring to a physical object, a financial metric or a theoretical concept.

Antonio Rotolo, PhD

Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Source & Trust

94%

Authority and reliability

4.9/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Linguistic Context

The phrase "it couldn't keep up" functions as a past-tense negative modal verb phrase combined with a phrasal verb. According to Ludwig, it is used to signify a lack of ability or capacity in a past context.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Formal & Business

20%

Science

10%

Less common in

Academia

Wiki

Social Media

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In conclusion, "it couldn't keep up" is a robust and widely used expression across professional English. Ludwig AI highlights its prevalence in describing companies that failed due to rapid growth, technology that became outdated, and biological entities that were at a disadvantage. It effectively communicates a gap between capability and environmental demand. While the contraction is acceptable in most reports, using the full "it could not keep up" is preferred in strictly formal academic or legal contexts to ensure maximum precision and tone consistency.

More alternative expressions(10)

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it failed to keep pace

A slightly more formal version often used in economic or technical contexts.

it fell behind

Focuses on the loss of a relative position or ranking.

it was outpaced

Uses the passive voice to emphasize the superiority of the competition.

it lagged behind

Emphasizes a slow response or physical delay.

it was unable to sustain the rate

Specific to the inability to maintain a particular speed or frequency.

it struggled to stay abreast

A sophisticated alternative meaning to remain updated or side-by-side.

it could not match the demand

Narrowly focused on supply and demand dynamics.

it fell short

General expression for not meeting a required standard.

it was overwhelmed

Suggests that the pressure or volume was the cause of failure.

it lost its edge

Idiomatic way to say it lost its competitive advantage.

FAQs

How to use "it couldn't keep up" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe failure under pressure, for example: "The legacy software was stable, but "it couldn't keep up" with the new data loads".

What can I say instead of "it couldn't keep up"?

Depending on your context, you might use "<a href="/s/failed+to+keep+pace" target="_blank" rel="alternative">failed to keep pace", "<a href="/s/fell+behind" target="_blank" rel="alternative">fell behind", or "<a href="/s/was+outpaced" target="_blank" rel="alternative">was outpaced".

Is "it couldn't keep up" appropriate for formal writing?

Yes, although it contains a contraction. In very formal academic papers, you should use the uncontracted form "<a href="/s/it+could+not+keep+up" target="_blank" rel="alternative">it could not keep up".

What is the difference between "it couldn't keep up" and "it fell behind"?

"it couldn't keep up" focuses on the lack of ability or capacity to maintain speed, while "<a href="/s/fell+behind" target="_blank" rel="alternative">fell behind" describes the resulting loss of position.

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Table of contents

Usage summary

Human-verified examples

Expert writing tips

Linguistic context

Ludwig's wrap-up

Alternative expressions

FAQs

Source & Trust

94%

Authority and reliability

4.9/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Most frequent sentences:

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it couldn't keep upGrammar usage guide and real-world examples

it couldn't keep up
Grammar usage guide and real-world examples