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
Nweeia’s team survived the polar bears but faced one more surprise.
—
Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
Sun said Taiwan has prepared a series of responses if the People's Liberation Army’s (PLA) provocations escalate into acts of war and has detailed plans to counter and survive a potential Chinese naval blockade.
—Eryk Michael Smith, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Unlike the Apollo missions of the past, Argonaut is being designed to survive the two-week lunar night, when temperatures plummet to -274 degrees Fahrenheit (-170 degrees Celsius).
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 27 Oct. 2025
He is survived by his wife, Ellen.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for survive
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2025
Sun said Taiwan has prepared a series of responses if the People's Liberation Army’s (PLA) provocations escalate into acts of war and has detailed plans to counter and survive a potential Chinese naval blockade.
—Eryk Michael Smith, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Unlike the Apollo missions of the past, Argonaut is being designed to survive the two-week lunar night, when temperatures plummet to -274 degrees Fahrenheit (-170 degrees Celsius).
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 27 Oct. 2025
He is survived by his wife, Ellen.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for survive
Cite this Entry
“Survive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/survive. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share