maintain

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 The Cartel de los Soles remains active along Colombia’s border, maintaining ties with guerrilla groups such as the ELN and with Mexican cartels to traffic cocaine, gold and other contraband. Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2025 Beijing, which claims the self-governing island as its territory despite having never controlled it, maintains close ties with Russia and could lean on Moscow to cut off the flow of naphtha to Taiwan. John Liu, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2025 Mendes would later detail his struggles with maintaining his mental health while touring, and cancel his Wonder world tour in 2022. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2025 By reducing the need for numerous physical sensors, future fusion reactors could become more compact, simpler, and less expensive to build and maintain. Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for maintain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maintain
Verb
  • Donate today to preserve the quality and integrity of local journalism.
    Ella McCarthy, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Direct communication from the company—rather than through media spin—can help preserve confidence and reduce reputational harm.
    Tim Reynolds, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The county is currently defending a long-running class-action case alleging systemic deficiencies in the jails’ health care.
    Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Sep. 2025
  • McKinney has an interception on the season and four passes defended.
    Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The Fed, which opted to cut interest rates earlier this month, is guided by a dual mandate to keep inflation under control and maximize employment.
    Max Zahn, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Netanyahu knows that his political future is dependent on keeping far-right members of his coalition on board – and that dynamic has undone past pushes for the end of the war.
    Asher Kaufman, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • That’s not sustainable, argues Ruchir Sharma, chair of Rockefeller International.
    Diane Brady, Fortune, 6 Oct. 2025
  • The lawsuit argues the messages violate the First Amendment, which prohibits the government from compelling speech.
    Shannon Bond, NPR, 5 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Yet Huang insists the skeptics are missing the deeper forces reshaping the economy.
    Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Advertisement As a result, civil rights leaders insisted that the pursuit of equality depended on freedom for unpopular speech.
    Time, Time, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Iran can achieve that by abandoning water-hungry crops, shifting to smart farming, conserving every drop, and reviving flood-management techniques Iranians once mastered to recharge depleted aquifers.
    Nik Kowsar, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Overwintering October Magic® Ivory™ Camellia plants benefit from a layer of mulch in winter to moderate soil temperatures and conserve moisture.
    Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • On September 24, Judge Smith permanently enjoined DHS from enforcing broad new immigration compliance conditions on a wide range of preparedness grants, ruling the agency had exceeded its statutory authority and failed to justify departing from longstanding grant practices.
    Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Among customers and in financial markets, skepticism is rising as some question whether the massive investment in AI will ever be justified by revenues.
    Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Your browser does not support the video tag.
    Joseph Person, New York Times, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Please consider supporting local journalism and getting unlimited digital access.
    Amy Huschka, Freep.com, 6 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Maintain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maintain. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

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