HOLD / KEEP SB/STH AT BAY


Meaning of HOLD / KEEP SB/STH AT BAY in English

to prevent an enemy from coming close or a problem from having a bad effect

SYN ward off :

I'm trying to keep my creditors at bay.

Charlotte bit her lip to hold the tears at bay.

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне.