MAINTAIN Synonyms: 137 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'maintain' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of maintain are assert , defend , justify , and vindicate . While all these words mean "to uphold as true, right, just, or reasonable," maintain stresses firmness of conviction. // steadfastly maintained his innocence

Q: When would 'assert' be a good substitute for 'maintain'?

Although the words assert and maintain have much in common, assert suggests determination to make others accept one's claim. // asserted her rights

Q: When could 'defend' be used to replace 'maintain'?

In some situations, the words defend and maintain are roughly equivalent. However, defend implies maintaining in the face of attack or criticism. // defended his voting record

Q: When is it sensible to use 'justify' instead of 'maintain'?

The words justify and maintain can be used in similar contexts, but justify implies showing to be true, just, or valid by appeal to a standard or to precedent. // the action was used to justify military intervention

Q: In what contexts can 'vindicate' take the place of 'maintain'?

The meanings of vindicate and maintain largely overlap; however, vindicate implies successfully defending. // his success vindicated our faith in him

maintain

verb

mān-ˈtān

Definition of maintain

as in to preserve

to keep in good condition he repairs and maintains antique cars as a hobby

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as in to defend

to continue to declare to be true or proper despite opposition or objections part of debating is learning to maintain your position in the face of harsh challenges

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as in to keep

to pay the living expenses of we simply cannot afford to maintain a horse

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as in to argue

to state (something) as a reason in support of or against something under consideration she continued to maintain that a sewing machine would end up paying for itself since she could make her own clothes

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as in to insist

to state as a fact usually forcefully he maintains that there is indeed hard evidence for extraterrestrial visitors

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb maintain differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of maintain are assert, defend, justify, and vindicate. While all these words mean "to uphold as true, right, just, or reasonable," maintain stresses firmness of conviction.

steadfastly maintained his innocence

When would assert be a good substitute for maintain?

Although the words assert and maintain have much in common, assert suggests determination to make others accept one's claim.

asserted her rights

When could defend be used to replace maintain?

In some situations, the words defend and maintain are roughly equivalent. However, defend implies maintaining in the face of attack or criticism.

defended his voting record

When is it sensible to use justify instead of maintain?

The words justify and maintain can be used in similar contexts, but justify implies showing to be true, just, or valid by appeal to a standard or to precedent.

the action was used to justify military intervention

In what contexts can vindicate take the place of maintain?

The meanings of vindicate and maintain largely overlap; however, vindicate implies successfully defending.

his success vindicated our faith in him

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 maintain Artists rely on professional guidance and the entire ecosystem depends on artists so there is a symbiosis that must be maintained. — Rick Nicita, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026 Escalating real-estate prices, the rising costs of fabrication, and changing market demands (not to mention the underlying threat of recession) have made the mega-indie studio model increasingly difficult to maintain in major cities. — Adrian Madlener, Curbed, 30 Sep. 2026 The increases would also help the county maintain financial reserves and pay for major capital projects, including construction of a new disposal area at Kiefer Landfill. — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 30 Sep. 2026 In practice, this segregation is seen as a way to maintain property values. — Stephanie A. Dhuman, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for maintain

Recent Examples of Synonyms for maintain

Verb

Here’s how some places around the country are changing, and how one state is succeeding in preserving its native wildlife.

— Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026
Cristina Arias | Cover | Getty Images Proper storage is an essential part of protecting and preserving a luxury watch collection.

— Joe D'Allegro, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of preserve

Verb

Amid the backlash, the White House has defended the television spots as public service announcements meant to educate voters and promote patriotism.

— David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 6 Oct. 2026
In an earlier statement to TMZ, Seaver defended his messages to Nozell, saying they had been taken out of context.

— Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of defend

Verb

Ellison has so far agreed to keep CBS and CNN separate and under different leadership.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
Traders are now pricing in a 78% chance that the Fed will keep rates unchanged at its next meeting, according to the CME Group's FedWatch tool.

— Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of keep

Verb

Marc Elias has argued dozens of cases around mail-in balloting and election access across the country and in front of the Supreme Court over the last decade.

— Max Tani, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2026
His complaint argues that the plural title invites audiences to suspect a second culprit besides Mun.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of argue

Verb

The Wyss gallery, for example, has been constructed in a Y-shape to conserve the park’s old trees.

— Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
In March, Sri Lanka moved its schools, universities, and government offices to a four-day week, giving everyone Wednesdays off to conserve fuel.

— Muskaan Arshad, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of conserve

Verb

Regardless, a movie of this size would need a debut near $40 million to justify its budget, per rival execs.

— Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026
Both have used surging trading volumes as a metric to underscore the exchanges’ growing popularity, helping justify those valuations.

— Davis Giangiulio,Ananya Chetia, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of justify

Verb

SeaGuardian is the maritime variant of the MQ-9B Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS) operated by the USN as part of a Company-Owned, Company-Operated (COCO) contract with GA-ASI supporting an ongoing capability assessment for the 7th Fleet.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2026
That is an extraordinarily broad claim, and current evidence does not support it.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of support

Cite this Entry

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“Maintain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maintain. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of maintain

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