sustain

verb

sə-ˈstān How to pronounce sustain (audio)
Definition of sustainnext
1
as in to nurture
to supply with nourishment a granola bar should sustain you long enough to last until lunch

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in to undergo
to come to a knowledge of (something) by living through it sustained serious injuries in the car crash

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in to endure
to put up with (something painful or difficult) I won't sustain such insolence!

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to carry
to hold up or serve as a foundation for that old chair won't sustain your weight

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 sustain Because the liquid controls temperatures effectively, the battery can sustain a continuous 3C discharge rate. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 14 Aug. 2026 Though technically operating as an independent nonprofit, the museum is largely sustained with government funding from the city, state, and the Colombian Ministry of Culture. — Kim Córdova, ARTnews.com, 14 Aug. 2026 Whether this new financing model can be sustained remains to be seen. — CNBC, 14 Aug. 2026 Other sustaining injuries were linebacker Nick Martin (stinger) and safety Marques Sigle (oblique); cornerback Nate Hobbs did not play because of a groin injury that will keep him out this preseason. — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sustain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sustain
  1. nurture
  2. undergo
  3. endure
  4. carry
  5. satisfy
  6. experience
  7. tolerate
  8. support
Verb
  • Since the 12th century London's guilds have nurtured generations of artisans, preserving skills while allowing each craft to evolve with every new era.
    — Divia Thani, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Career strength is one aspect, and such capabilities also are emerging within startups being nurtured within Y Combinator.
    — Joe McKendrick, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of nurture
Verb
  • Tommy John, the former New York Yankees pitcher who first underwent the elbow surgery that has been used to further the careers of players for decades, released a statement to fans as the franchise celebrated Old-Timers’ Day on Saturday.
    — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • If the loss wasn’t enough, catcher Daniel Susac underwent an X-ray and was diagnosed with a left knee contusion, per manager Tony Vitello.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of undergo
Verb
  • Swaths of Europe are enduring their fifth heatwave of the year this week, with parts of Britain, France, Spain and Italy under extreme heat warnings.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Yet for Asian countries that endured Japanese imperial rule and expansion, Yasukuni remains a symbol of Japan’s militarism.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of endure
Verb
  • Ultimately, though, the highlight is grabbing a glass of local wine at the lobby bar, carrying it to any one of the viewpoints on the massive lawn, and watching sunset over the silent sound, feeling like everything the light touches is yours.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Aug. 2026
  • In Cali, a woman was pulled from under a mountain of rubble on Tuesday to cheers as firemen carried her out on a stretcher following a complex, multinational rescue operation.
    — Rocio Munoz, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of carry
Verb
  • Or, at the very least, set aside assets that can be liquidated to satisfy the guarantee even if that means that some assets will not be fully deployed to gain additional leverage.
    — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • But some observers believe there’s nothing Paramount could agree to that would satisfy the state AGs or other opponents of the deal.
    — Todd Spangler, Variety, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of satisfy
Verb
  • Cobb County drivers experienced four long lasting, multilane freeway incidents in the same morning.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The upper floors and sculpture terraces are also connected by a series of exterior staircases, with great views of the downtown skyline, and a rare opportunity to experience art en plein aire.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of experience
Verb
  • Stern’s decisive response to the Malice at the Palace – the suspensions of the players as well as the punishments meted out to the fans – sent a clear message that such behavior would not be tolerated.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026
  • People with digestive conditions that require a temporary low-fiber diet during flare-ups may also need to limit unhulled sesame seeds, since their fiber-rich outer hull can be difficult to tolerate.
    — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of tolerate
Verb
  • The general managers described Garcia as Sanchez’s husband and as a hardworking, dedicated family man who supported not only his family in New York but also back in his home country, Colombia.
    — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Institutional credit, insurance capital and private capital would support hyperscalers, frontier AI labs and companies building data centers and purchasing Nvidia chips.
    — , CNBC, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of support

Browse Nearby Words

suspiring
sustain
sustainable
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Sustain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sustain. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on sustain

Nglish: Translation of sustain for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All