as in independent
able to take care of oneself or itself without outside help
with its own farm, the estate was largely self-sustaining
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Recent Examples of self-sustaining
Rock and roll was clearly not a phase, empty calories to consume until the time arrived for heartier fare, but rather something self-sustaining, a means to make a life.
—
David L. Ulin, The Atlantic, 11 May 2026
Colorado voters in 2020 narrowly approved the reintroduction of the native species and mandated that CPW create a self-sustaining population.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 7 May 2026
Xeriscapes eliminate the need for irrigation because self-sustaining plants can be added.
—Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 30 Apr. 2026
The self-sustaining, working farm led by livestock director and veterinarian Aginaldo Silva, whose greatest pride is his internship program for local youths.
—Samantha Falewée, Travel + Leisure, 30 Apr. 2026
Vegetable gardens and beehives—producing distinctive saltmarsh honey—add to the island’s self-sustaining appeal.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 28 Apr. 2026
Artistic efforts should be self-sustaining as patrons finance them, not continually maintained by government subsidies.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Antares is currently in the final phase of the Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program, with a goal to achieve criticality—a stable, self-sustaining nuclear fission reaction—before July 4, 2026.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 23 Apr. 2026
Leading to a self-sustaining economic loop where revenue generated from global-facing media products is reinvested directly into local wages, taxes, and services, fostering a stable foundation for multi-generational upward mobility.
—Stephanie Tharpe, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
David L. Ulin, The Atlantic, 11 May 2026
Colorado voters in 2020 narrowly approved the reintroduction of the native species and mandated that CPW create a self-sustaining population.
—Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 7 May 2026
Xeriscapes eliminate the need for irrigation because self-sustaining plants can be added.
—Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 30 Apr. 2026
The self-sustaining, working farm led by livestock director and veterinarian Aginaldo Silva, whose greatest pride is his internship program for local youths.
—Samantha Falewée, Travel + Leisure, 30 Apr. 2026
Vegetable gardens and beehives—producing distinctive saltmarsh honey—add to the island’s self-sustaining appeal.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 28 Apr. 2026
Artistic efforts should be self-sustaining as patrons finance them, not continually maintained by government subsidies.
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
Antares is currently in the final phase of the Department of Energy’s Reactor Pilot Program, with a goal to achieve criticality—a stable, self-sustaining nuclear fission reaction—before July 4, 2026.
—Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 23 Apr. 2026
Leading to a self-sustaining economic loop where revenue generated from global-facing media products is reinvested directly into local wages, taxes, and services, fostering a stable foundation for multi-generational upward mobility.
—Stephanie Tharpe, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-sustaining
independent
Adjective
-
Jeffries first looked to California, where an independent commission had drawn a map that, in 2024, gave Democrats forty-three of the state’s fifty-two congressional seats.—
Jason Zengerle,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
By the start of Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman second season in the fall of 1976, the show had expanded to 125 independent markets, now putting it in front of a potential fifty-five million households.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-sustaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-sustaining. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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