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as in to undergo
to come to a knowledge of (something) by living through it an elderly couple who have endured the ups and downs of a half century of married life

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb endure differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of endure are abide, bear, stand, suffer, and tolerate. While all these words mean "to put up with something trying or painful," endure implies continuing firm or resolute through trials and difficulties.

endured years of rejection

When is abide a more appropriate choice than endure?

While the synonyms abide and endure are close in meaning, abide suggests acceptance without resistance or protest.

cannot abide their rudeness

Where would bear be a reasonable alternative to endure?

Although the words bear and endure have much in common, bear usually implies the power to sustain without flinching or breaking.

forced to bear a tragic loss

When can stand be used instead of endure?

The synonyms stand and endure are sometimes interchangeable, but stand emphasizes even more strongly the ability to bear without discomposure or flinching.

unable to stand teasing

When would suffer be a good substitute for endure?

While in some cases nearly identical to endure, suffer often suggests acceptance or passivity rather than courage or patience in bearing.

suffering many insults

When is it sensible to use tolerate instead of endure?

The words tolerate and endure can be used in similar contexts, but tolerate suggests overcoming or successfully controlling an impulse to resist, avoid, or resent something injurious or distasteful.

refused to tolerate such treatment

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of endure Moulton’s Senate primary rationale, stated or otherwise, rests on the enduring public image of former President Joe Biden, who withdrew from his 2024 reelection bid after a disastrous debate against Trump revealed limitations of being in office at age 82 and beyond. David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2025 Russians have endured too much government oppression for too long. Nina Khrushcheva, Time, 3 Oct. 2025 Pediatrics has for years been enduring a workforce shortage—to the point where pediatrics training programs are struggling to fill slots. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 3 Oct. 2025 Her story, though brief, left an enduring mark. Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for endure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for endure
Verb
  • Then outside linebacker Derick Hall went down with an oblique injury in the first quarter (Hall will undergo testing to determine the severity).
    Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
  • The original Champagnes weren’t bottled with the intent of undergoing secondary fermentation that would cause its trademark bubbles to form.
    Mike DeSimone, Robb Report, 5 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Here, grizzlies don’t equate people with food—as opposed to populated areas where alluring smells forge a connection—and have learned to tolerate humans, thanks to decades of naturalists adopting nonthreatening practices.
    Susan Portnoy, AFAR Media, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Water Chocolate cosmos tolerate dry conditions once established, but thrive with regular irrigation.
    Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • About 20 living hostages remain captive in desperate conditions, Israeli officials say, and about 25 more are believed to have died, but their bodies have not been returned to their families.
    Susan Page, USA Today, 5 Oct. 2025
  • Slegers stopped short of admitting Arsenal are in the land of asking for favours elsewhere to remain in the title race.
    Megan Feringa, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The program gives team members the chance to experience different roles, properties, and cultures first-hand, building skills and strengthening connections across the region, and—in the process—strengthening the company’s cross-cultural bonds.
    Rebecca Ann Hughes, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025
  • When one patient, a new mother experiencing postpartum depression, commits an impulsive, desperate act, Linda is forced to contend with her own physically and emotionally unavailable husband.
    Justin Chang, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Even long-standing legends say Cleopatra famously bathed in milk water to soften her skin into more of a baby’s face.
    Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Among independents, his approval stood at 66 percent, with only 20 percent disapproving—a key advantage in one of the nation’s most competitive swing states.
    Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Twenty years later, Iraq War veteran Aaron Hughes continues spreading his realization that soldiers can better champion American ideals by following their conscience over orders.
    Michael Loria, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025
  • McNeill said one argument in favor of the EV sector continuing to grow is the vehicles’ increasing utility far beyond transportation.
    Dave Smith, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • James is one of them, though his kindly attempts to be there for Linda, as amateur repairman and reluctant babysitter, have a way of backfiring, usually on himself.
    Justin Chang, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2025
  • Although exact details have yet to be released, people familiar with the matter told the Associated Press that Hamas is expected to release all 20 surviving hostages this weekend, while Israeli forces begin withdrawing from most of Gaza.
    Callum Sutherland, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Tennessee Department of Education provided a list of more than 200 schools accepting scholarship students for the 2025-26 school year.
    Rachel Wegner, Nashville Tennessean, 3 Oct. 2025
  • The planning commission accepted the recommendation, with a small modification related to how medical clinics are defined in the Land Development Code.
    Killian Baarlaer, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Endure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/endure. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.

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