PERSISTS Synonyms: 65 Similar and Opposite Words

persists

verb

present tense third-person singular of persist

as in perseveres

to continue despite difficulties, opposition, or discouragement she persisted in her efforts and eventually got the job she wanted

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in remains

to remain indefinitely in existence or in the same state my headache persisted for almost the entire day

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 persists So long as effective communication persists, the reflex to mourn the disuse of a language can be motivated only by something else—nostalgia or, perhaps, the loss of a group’s ability to easily demarcate itself. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026 Small businesses already report a widening gap between AI adoption and AI readiness, and a workforce that cannot keep pace with a changing tool is one of the quieter reasons that gap persists. — Terdawn Deboe, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Despite the bravado expressed by top officials, anxiety about the economy persists after high inflation and a currency crash sparked nationwide protests that were put down by a brutal crackdown in January. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026 Competition remains intense, economic uncertainty persists, and external pressures continue to shape how companies approach growth, investment, and borrowing. — Jp Shaffer, Miami Herald, 7 Aug. 2026 The merging of their bodies from the neck down evokes the physical continuity of pregnancy, a unity that, Cassatt seems to suggest (and many mothers would agree), persists even after birth. — Carmen Rosenberg-Miller, Artforum, 6 Aug. 2026 What persists, then, is not a clinical judgment but an institutional habit, and the burden of proof has been sitting on the wrong side of it all along. — Abigail MacKenzie, STAT, 5 Aug. 2026 Hotels are generally built to accommodate demand that persists throughout the year or recurs predictably across seasons. — Tim Komarek, The Conversation, 5 Aug. 2026 As her album artwork depicts, Arca has moved toward distinctly electronic and digital sounds, but the flesh persists, especially on XXXXX’s closing run. — Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 4 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for persists

Verb

For a show built on grit, glare, and the occasional lollipop, Kojak perseveres with a strangely velvety charm.

— Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 14 July 2026
True love, though, always perseveres.

— Kyle Thomas, PEOPLE, 14 June 2026

Definition of perseveres

Verb

There is no greater cautionary tale than Australia’s cane toads, whose now 200-million strong population continues to wreak havoc 91 years after being introduced to deal with the country’s cane beetle problem.

— Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
The episode picks up when Bret and Robert have their first tense interaction — their vaguely hostile and lightly homoerotic back-and-forth continues to be the highlight of the show for me.

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026