survived; surviving
1
: to remain alive or in existence : live on
2
: to continue to function or prosper
1
: to remain alive after the death of
he is survived by his wife
2
: to continue to exist or live after
survived the earthquake
3
: to continue to function or prosper despite : withstand
they survived many hardships
Examples of survive in a Sentence
I don't see how any creature can survive under those conditions.
bacteria that survive in extreme temperatures
Only a few written records survive from those times.
These ancient practices still survive in some regions.
Some of the original bridges survive.
Many businesses are struggling to survive in today's economy.
Only his son survived him.
She survived her husband by only a few years.
He survived a political scandal and was elected to the state legislature.
The company survived the recession.
Recent Examples on the Web
The text consists of 10 treatises on architecture, engineering and urban planning, and is the oldest surviving work written on the subject.
—
Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Iranian dissident Masih Alinejad has survived three plots by Iran's regime to kill or kidnap her.
—Katrina Kaufman, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
The swat helped Arkansas survive for an 83-79 win at Oklahoma on Tuesday night.
—Matt Byrne, Arkansas Online, 28 Jan. 2026
Researchers closely studied how thrips respond to temperature, simulating cold and heat exposures to see how long the insects could survive.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for survive
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Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 28 Jan. 2026
Iranian dissident Masih Alinejad has survived three plots by Iran's regime to kill or kidnap her.
—Katrina Kaufman, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
The swat helped Arkansas survive for an 83-79 win at Oklahoma on Tuesday night.
—Matt Byrne, Arkansas Online, 28 Jan. 2026
Researchers closely studied how thrips respond to temperature, simulating cold and heat exposures to see how long the insects could survive.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for survive
Cite this Entry
“Survive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/survive. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
survive
verb
sur·vive
sər-ˈvīv 
survived; surviving
: to remain alive or in existence : live on
1
: to remain alive after the death of
his son survived him
2
: to continue to exist or live after
survived the stroke
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