survive

verb

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

Seek out a support system that feels right for you There's a chance your surviving parent might not know how to support you in your grief. — Alison Caporimo, Seventeen, "How To Deal With the Death Of a Parent," 14 Mar. 2019 The Allies grabbed the surviving subs for study after the war. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "In the Last Days of World War II, Japan Fielded a Fleet of Kamikaze Mini-Subs," 11 Feb. 2019 The show opened with a performance by the surviving members of Queen (joined by Adam Lambert), and a bevy of stars and celebrities made appearances to present the awards. — Aja Romano, Vox, "Oscars 2019: winners, nominations, and biggest moments," 12 Dec. 2018 The 1868 treaty, signed by the surviving Diné from Fort Sumner, was a negotiation for release from incarceration and for the return of the Diné to their birthplace. — Parvannah Lee, Teen Vogue, "I'm From the Navajo Nation and I Want to Help My Community Get Healthy Food," 22 Nov. 2018 Tragedy soon strikes the family again, bringing the surviving members together for the first time in years—and the full horror of Hill House is finally unleashed. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Haunting of Hill House," 22 Oct. 2018 After surviving the Manchester bombing, losing her ex and friend Mac Miller to suicide and then breaking off her engagement (all while experiencing anxiety), Ari is starting off 2019 by looking for the silver lining. — Alison Caporimo, Seventeen, "Ariana Grande Remixes "These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things" For New Song "7 Rings"," 18 Jan. 2019 That means their cancers aren’t being detected as early, which diminishes their chances of surviving the disease. — Julia Belluz, Vox, "We’re making real progress against cancer. But you may not know it if you’re poor.," 8 Jan. 2019 The former Russian spy and his daughter poisoned by a military-grade nerve agent in Britain earlier this month have a slim chance of surviving, a relative said. — Fox News, "Poisoned Russian ex-spy, daughter have slim chance of surviving, niece says," 2 Oct. 2018

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.