From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishstay the coursestay the courseinformalSUCCEED IN DOING something to finish something in spite of difficulties Dieters should try hard to stay the course. → stay
Examples from the Corpus
stay the course• Republicans are vowing to stay the course.• My son had stayed the course.• Perhaps three out of ten who began Jesuit formation stayed the course.• Remember, most dieters fail to stay the course.• Ya wan na defend yurself, ya stay the course.• Congratulations go to everyone who participated - they all stayed the course and helped to raise a staggering £2,180 for Cancer Research.• Instead, the focus was always on staying the course, keeping at it and not quitting.• Some lovers split after three days, some stay the course until they die.• Investors who stay the course would have none of this. 