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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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 Eight grandchildren also survive Philip: Peter and Zara Phillips; Prince William and Prince Harry; Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie; and Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn. — NBC News, "Prince Philip, husband of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, dies at 99," 9 Apr. 2021 The shrew could survive on insects, burrow away from the heat, and had fur to warm itself during the freezing decade that followed. — Cody Cassidy, Wired, "How to Survive a Killer Asteroid," 9 Apr. 2021 All survive him along with his brothers, Yisrael and Meir; his sister, Pnina; and eight grandchildren. — New York Times, "Yehuda Ben-Yishay, Pioneer in Treating Brain Injuries, Dies at 88," 9 Apr. 2021 People do survive lung transplants and go on to live fulfilling lives. — Maryanne O'hara, Time, "What I Wish I’d Done Before I Lost My Daughter and Mother," 8 Apr. 2021 Viruses survive by hijacking the body’s own genetic process to make more virus. — David Heath, USA Today, "In the race to stay ahead of COVID-19 variants, the US lags globally," 7 Apr. 2021 The discovery presented Ergun with an altogether more important task: to help the gazelles survive. — Star Tribune, "Endangered gazelles make a comeback on the edge of a war zone," 2 Apr. 2021 Both assistance programs are in addition to the Paycheck Protection Program, created last March by Congress to help small businesses survive during the pandemic. — Ledyard King, USA TODAY, "Restaurants, bars decimated by pandemic getting billions from Biden's COVID-19 stimulus bill," 12 Mar. 2021 For people planning to catch and release the fish, some advice was offered by the city to help the fish survive. — Chris Mayhew, The Enquirer, "Covington sports new Devou Park attraction: Lake stocked with trout to lure fishermen," 27 Feb. 2021

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.