remained; remaining; remains
1
a
: to be a part not destroyed, taken, or used up
only a few ruins remain
b
: to be something yet to be shown, done, or treated
it remains to be seen
2
: to stay in the same place or with the same person or group
especially
: to stay behind
3
: to continue unchanged
the fact remains that we can't go
Examples of remain in a Sentence
Verb
Little remained after the fire.
Only two minutes still remain in the game.
The question remains: who fired the shot?
She remained in Boston after she finished college.
The soldiers were ordered to remain at their posts.
I remained behind after the class had ended.
He remained with the team.
Noun
the remains of the house ripped apart by the tornado littered the block for weeks afterward
archaeologists discovered the remains of an Incan woman and carefully excavated her burial site, which promised to yield important clues about her status
gathered up the remains of the buffet and delivered them to a local homeless shelter
Recent Examples on the Web
Corky Carroll, Oc Register, 9 May 2026
In the meantime, tensions remain high off the Iranian coast after the two sides exchanged fire May 7.
—Michael Loria, USA Today, 9 May 2026
Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
Prosecutors would later allege Ruben helped his son hide Smart’s body under the family’s deck before relocating her remains.
—Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for remain
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.
Verb
After close to a year of being bubble-wrapped and duct-taped up, the dog and freezer remained in his kitchen.
—Corky Carroll, Oc Register, 9 May 2026
In the meantime, tensions remain high off the Iranian coast after the two sides exchanged fire May 7.
—Michael Loria, USA Today, 9 May 2026
Noun
Ruben Flores, who was accused of helping to dispose of Smart’s remains, was found not guilty of being an accessory to the crime.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
Prosecutors would later allege Ruben helped his son hide Smart’s body under the family’s deck before relocating her remains.
—Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for remain
Cite this Entry
“Remain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/remain. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
remain
1 of 2 verb
re·main
ri-ˈmān 
1
a
: to be a part not destroyed, taken, or used up
little remained after the fire
b
: to be something yet to be shown, done, or treated
that remains to be seen
2
: to stay in the same place or with the same person or group
especially
: to stay behind
3
: to continue unchanged
the weather remained cold
remain
2 of 2 noun1
: whatever is left over or behind
—usually used in plural
the remains of a meal
2
plural
: a dead body
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
