Continue is a fairly clean way to skip the rest of the loop code for that element. For example you might have a situation like the following: for element in elements: if element == unusable_edge_case: continue # skip this element if element == problematic: if element == fixable: do-fix-here # apply fix, element is now compatible with the 30-lines-of-code below else: continue # skip this element do 30-lines-of-code here You can rewrite this with nested if/else logic, but it is not pretty and the overall intention will not be as easy to read. You might even mess up the exact nesting logic for if/else. Edit: Reworded the ...lines-of-code... placeholder names. Answer from -aRTy- on reddit.com
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W3Schools
w3schools.com › python › ref_keyword_continue.asp
Python continue Keyword
Python Examples Python Compiler ... Training ... The continue keyword is used to end the current iteration in a for loop (or a while loop), and continues to the next iteration....
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GeeksforGeeks
geeksforgeeks.org › python › python-continue-statement
Python Continue Statement - GeeksforGeeks
Python continue statement is a loop control statement that forces to execute the next iteration of the loop while skipping the rest of the code inside the loop for the current iteration only, i.e.
Published   July 12, 2025
Discussions

When should I use the 'continue' keyword?
Continue is a fairly clean way to skip the rest of the loop code for that element. For example you might have a situation like the following: for element in elements: if element == unusable_edge_case: continue # skip this element if element == problematic: if element == fixable: do-fix-here # apply fix, element is now compatible with the 30-lines-of-code below else: continue # skip this element do 30-lines-of-code here You can rewrite this with nested if/else logic, but it is not pretty and the overall intention will not be as easy to read. You might even mess up the exact nesting logic for if/else. Edit: Reworded the ...lines-of-code... placeholder names. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/learnpython
51
7
January 2, 2024
Example use of "continue" statement in Python? - Stack Overflow
The definition of the continue statement is: The continue statement continues with the next iteration of the loop. I can't find any good examples of code. Could someone suggest some simple cases More on stackoverflow.com
🌐 stackoverflow.com
How to 'press any key to continue' in Python 3?
Correct, there is no easy way to do that in python. However curses and termios are not external dependencies, they are part of the python standard library. However a "press enter to continue" is very easy to do, can you use that instead? , I got the impression that there is usually "one single Python way of doing basic things". That is part of the zen of python and a dream we aspire to, but it's far from reality. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/learnpython
3
5
June 7, 2020
Does time.sleep continue it's timer when the computer is in Sleep mode?
I tested this out with this script: from datetime import datetime from time import sleep import sys def sleeper(secs): start = datetime.now() print(f"Started at {start.isoformat(' ')}") sleep(secs) end = datetime.now() print(f"Ended at {end.isoformat(' ')}") duration = (end - start).total_seconds() print(f"Slept for {duration} seconds") if __name__ == "__main__": sleeper(int(sys.argv[1])) ran sleeper.py 180, put laptop to sleep for a few seconds, turned it back on, this is what happened: Started at 2019-05-01 16:27:08.428659 Ended at 2019-05-01 16:30:22.761584 Slept for 194.332925 seconds so the answer is no, the sleep timer does not continue to count while the computer is in sleep mode. More on reddit.com
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47
153
May 1, 2019
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Python documentation
docs.python.org › 3 › tutorial › controlflow.html
4. More Control Flow Tools — Python 3.14.3 documentation
>>> for num in range(2, 10): ... if num % 2 == 0: ... print(f"Found an even number {num}") ... continue ... print(f"Found an odd number {num}") ...
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/learnpython › when should i use the 'continue' keyword?
r/learnpython on Reddit: When should I use the 'continue' keyword?
January 2, 2024 -

So, I tried searching the group and I found people asking *what* the continue keyword does, which is not my question. I think I understand it. Basically, it just says "hey, if x condition is met do not do what you did to every other element in the loop. Potentially do this instead or Just go to the next item."

The question I have is why should I use it instead of just an if-esle statement,, or if you prefer continue why should I use an if-else and not default to continue.

To put it into context, what is the meaningful difference between the following code blocks:

for i in range(10):
if i == 7:
    print('7? I hate prime numbers bigger than 5!')
    continue
print(f'Woo! I love the number {i}')

and

for i in range(10):
if i == 7:
    print('7? I hate prime numbers bigger than 5!')
else:
    print(f'Woo! I love the number {i}')

Both got me the same result. Is it just a "Python has many ways to do the same thing" deal or am I missing a crucial difference?

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Built In
builtin.com › software-engineering-perspectives › pass-vs-continue-python
Pass vs. Continue in Python Explained | Built In
Pass and continue are two statements in Python that alter the flow of a loop. Pass signals that there’s no code to execute, while continue forces the loop to skip the remaining code and start a new statement. Here’s what you need to know.
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Programiz
programiz.com › python-programming › break-continue
Python break and continue (With Examples)
# Program to print odd numbers from 1 to 10 num = 0 while num < 10: num += 1 if (num % 2) == 0: continue print(num) ... In the above example, we have used the while loop to print the odd numbers between 1 and 10. Here, ... Before we wrap up, let’s put your knowledge of Python break and continue to the test!
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Boot.dev
boot.dev › lessons › 3f2e485c-fcc2-419c-8664-f4b6318b4c7f
Learn to Code in Python: Continue Statement | Boot.dev
A continue statement immediately halts the current iteration and jumps to the next one, which saves the program from doing unnecessary work.
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Tutorialspoint
tutorialspoint.com › python › python_continue_statement.htm
Python - Continue Statement
Python continue statement is used to skip the execution of the program block and returns the control to the beginning of the current loop to start the next iteration. When encountered, the loop starts next iteration without executing the remaining
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Real Python
realpython.com › python-continue
Skip Ahead in Loops With Python's continue Keyword – Real Python
August 4, 2025 - If it’s odd, then you execute continue. If it’s even, then you square the number and print that value. This results in the same output as when you ran the for loop earlier: ... In both loops, when Python executes the continue statement, it skips the rest of the current iteration.
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Real Python
realpython.com › ref › keywords › continue
continue | Python Keywords – Real Python
In Python, the continue keyword within loops lets you skip the rest of the code inside the loop for the current iteration and jump to the next iteration. When you use continue, the loop doesn’t terminate.
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W3Schools
w3schools.com › python › gloss_python_while_continue.asp
Python While Continue
❮ Python Glossary · With the continue statement we can stop the current iteration, and continue with the next: Continue to the next iteration if i is 3: i = 0 while i < 6: i += 1 if i == 3: continue print(i) Try it Yourself » · Python While ...
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Codecademy
codecademy.com › docs › python › keywords › continue
Python | Keywords | continue | Codecademy
June 17, 2025 - The continue keyword in Python is used inside loops to bypass the remaining code in the current iteration and immediately begin the next one. When Python encounters continue, it jumps to the next iteration without executing the remaining statements ...
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DigitalOcean
digitalocean.com › community › tutorials › how-to-use-break-continue-and-pass-statements-when-working-with-loops-in-python-3
How to Break Out of Multiple Loops in Python | DigitalOcean
August 7, 2025 - The continue statement causes a program to skip certain factors that come up within a loop but then continue through the rest of the loop. When an external condition is triggered, the pass statement allows you to satisfy Python’s syntactical requirement for a code block without performing ...
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Unstop
unstop.com › home › blog › continue statement in python | working explained with examples
Continue Statement In Python | Working Explained With Examples
February 4, 2025 - The continue statement in Python programming is used inside loops to skip the current iteration and proceed directly to the next iteration of the loop. When the continue statement is encountered, the remaining code in that iteration is ignored, ...
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Langchain
docs.langchain.com › oss › python › langgraph › interrupts
Interrupts - Docs by LangChain
After an interrupt pauses execution, you resume the graph by invoking it again with a Command that contains the resume value. The resume value is passed back to the interrupt call, allowing the node to continue execution with the external input.
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Python documentation
docs.python.org › 3 › tutorial › errors.html
8. Errors and Exceptions — Python 3.14.3 documentation
If an exception occurs during execution of the try clause, the rest of the clause is skipped. Then, if its type matches the exception named after the except keyword, the except clause is executed, and then execution continues after the try/except block.
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Geek University
geek-university.com › home › the continue statement
The continue statement | Python#
February 1, 2022 - The continue statement in Python is used to skip the rest of the code inside a loop for the current iteration only. In other words, the loop will not terminate immediately but it will continue on with the next iteration.
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Python documentation
docs.python.org › 3 › whatsnew › 3.14.html
What’s new in Python 3.14
3 weeks ago - If a statement is passed to the Conditional expressions after else, or one of pass, break, or continue is passed before if, then the error message highlights where the expression is required.
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Medium
fallenapples.medium.com › avoiding-break-and-continue-statements-in-python-8bf830f3ab12
Avoiding “break” and “continue” statements in Python | by Manel Vilar | Medium
May 18, 2020 - Avoiding “break” and “continue” statements in Python When you are coding, is not very infrequent that you find pieces of code like this (alert, pseudo-code) when traversing a loop: for foo in …