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

Other Words from survive Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about survive

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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

These Jewish refugees called themselves Sh’erit ha-Pletah, the surviving remnant. — Emanuella Grinberg, Smithsonian, "When a Bavarian Monastery Provided a Home to Jewish Refugees," 11 July 2018 Two of them required penalty kicks—making Croatia just the second team in World Cup history to win two shootouts in the same tournament and the first to survive 120 minutes in all of its knockout games. — Andrew Beaton, WSJ, "Croatia Eyes the Greatest Upset in World Cup History," 13 July 2018 With Fourth of July revelry reaching its apex, and Paris Couture Week continuing to enchant on and off the runway, this week's best beauty moments were a study in how to survive—and embrace—the balmy weather. — Lauren Valenti, Vogue, "The 10 Best Beauty Looks: Week of July 8, 2018," 10 July 2018 When the owners decided not to host theater any more, Tynes determined to survive the eviction. — Lawrence Toppman, charlotteobserver, "The theater company with a wishbone, a funny bone and a backbone," 3 July 2018 It's believed Fiona is the smallest hippo ever to survive. — Dan Sewell, Cincinnati.com, "Professor Fiona? Famed baby hippo an educational force," 2 July 2018 At least there’s historical precedent for the poor showing—four of the last five World Cup winners (France in 1998, Italy in 2006, Spain in 2010, and Germany in 2014) all failed to survive the group stage of the follow-up tournament. — Ian Bremmer, Time, "The World Cup’s Biggest Winners and Losers So Far—Both On and Off the Field," 29 June 2018 The round of 16 is where the serious contenders are sorted out from those merely content to have survived the treacherous group stage and the biggest threats to become champion stake their claim. — Martin Rogers, USA TODAY, "World Cup: Ranking the matchups in the Round of 16," 29 June 2018 But the safety agency concluded that Falkenhan might have survived if a search crew on the second floor had had a hose to douse the flames before the fire raced up the stairwell and took his life. — Mike Hendricks, kansascity, "In a tragic loop, firefighters continue to die from preventable mistakes," 13 July 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.