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

Other Words from survive Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About survive

Synonyms for survive

Synonyms

ride (out),
weather

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 And hopefully Liv Hewson as Van will continue to defy the odds and survive as well. — Aimée Lutkin, ELLE, 16 Jan. 2022 Whether Quebec’s new tax would survive a legal challenge would come down to the details of the emergency measure, which are still being finalized, Carolyn Ells, a medicine and health science professor at Montreal’s McGill University, told Reuters. — Lila Maclellan, Quartz, 12 Jan. 2022 Drive-throughs and to-go sales have helped many larger restaurant chains survive the pandemic’s various challenges. — Heather Haddon, WSJ, 8 Jan. 2022 As is the case with most pieces of space debris that tumble back to Earth, the rocket parts that survive the fiery journey through the planet's atmosphere will likely fall over water. — NBC News, 5 Jan. 2022 Those teens who survive are left scrambling for sources of meaning to motivate themselves to move forward. — Eliot Schrefer, USA TODAY, 5 Jan. 2022 Newsom’s margin beat expectations, topping the final public opinion polls heading into the election, which suggested the governor would survive by a much smaller double-digit margin. — Paul Steinhauser, Fox News, 5 Jan. 2022 New York general manager Dave Gettleman is on the hot seat and reports are Joe Judge could survive because the Giants don’t want to clip a third straight coach after only two seasons. — Brad Biggs, chicagotribune.com, 1 Jan. 2022 We are led to understand that this must be a vision of the future, when global warming has submerged all but the tallest of off-ramp fast-food signs, and only the divas survive, adapting to become something new and fearsome. — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 1 Jan. 2022

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.