survive

verb

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sur·vive | \ sər-ˈvīv

survived; surviving

Definition of survive

intransitive verb

1 : to remain alive or in existence : live on

2 : to continue to function or prosper

transitive verb

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

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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 Santa Barbara’s mild climate has allowed her business to survive on outdoor dining alone. — Andy Puzder, WSJ, "Lockdowns Starve Mom and Pop," 4 Jan. 2021 The series centres around a group of teenage girls who end up stranded on a deserted island and are forced to survive on their own. — Rosie Knight, refinery29.com, "The Wilds Puts Clever Twists On Pop Culture’s Most Classic Survival Stories," 14 Dec. 2020 There’s no way to survive on a meat-only diet without suffering some serious health problems. — Jaclyn London, Ms, Rd, Good Housekeeping, "What You Need to Know About the Carnivore Diet," 14 Dec. 2020 In March, when state officials closed all nonessential businesses, many restaurants overhauled their business models — and in some cases, their menus — to try and survive on takeout and delivery alone. — Michael Gold, New York Times, "Indoor Dining May Be Banned Again, Threatening Many N.Y.C. Restaurants," 7 Dec. 2020 Somehow they get separated from their party, lost, and end up having to survive on their own until search-and-rescue finds them. — The Editors, Field & Stream, "Three Things To Consider Before You Buy a Survival Kit," 4 Dec. 2020 Despite Slack’s experience, Zukin insisted there are still avenues for independent software firms to survive on their own. — Nicolás Rivero, Quartz, "Slack’s sale shows the perils of competing with Big Tech," 1 Dec. 2020 Both teams had to survive in their respective games on Wednesday with ASU slipping past Rhode Island and Villanova getting by Boston College 76-67. — Michelle Gardner, The Arizona Republic, "ASU will look for better defensive effort against Villanova," 27 Nov. 2020 These shallower areas, such as mangroves and seagrass, are rich with nutrients, which help young grow big and strong enough to survive out on their own. — Lucy Hicks, Science | AAAS, "Megalodon was a megalo-mom," 24 Nov. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'survive.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.