SUSTAIN Synonyms: 106 Similar and Opposite Words

sustain

verb

sə-ˈstān

Definition of sustain

as in to nurture

to supply with nourishment a granola bar should sustain you long enough to last until lunch

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

as in to endure

to put up with (something painful or difficult) I won't sustain such insolence!

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Under existing law, they’re directed to produce as much timber as can be sustained over time, while considering factors like recreation and wildlife. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026 Police originally said two of the girls, ages 15 and 17, were taken to a hospital as trauma alerts, but now say two of the girls had no significant injuries while a third girl sustained more serious injuries and remains under medical care. — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026 Officials have released the name of the teenager who died from injuries sustained in a collision with a vehicle near Middleton High School. — Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 22 Sep. 2026 For healthcare providers, teaching kitchens may also present an opportunity to advance knowledge about GLP-1s, and how to safely sustain healthy eating in the long run, says Welch, of the Teaching Kitchens Collaborative. — Hope Hodge Deck, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sustain

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sustain

Verb

For a few years, Lizzie and Nance nurtured a closeness that was suspicious to Fall River society and to Emma especially.

— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
The minimal information on my sample contacts somewhat limited my ability to test this feature, but Breeze Assistant still impressed me with excellent suggestions for nurturing leads.

— Dianna Gunn, PC Magazine, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of nurture

Verb

After a handful of ownership changes throughout the decades, the hotel underwent a massive renovation and reopened in December 2023 as the Mandarin Oriental Savoy.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Sep. 2026
More than 200 students underwent the process, with an initial 30 finalists identified, and then the final 10 designers were chosen to be featured on the runway.

— Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of undergo

Verb

Said, wearing blue jeans and a sweater, remained expressionless for most of the hourlong hearing in The Hague as presiding Judge Miatta Maria Samba described the inhumane conditions detainees endured at the prison in the capital, Bangui.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Sep. 2026
In revisiting Parks’ time with Life magazine during the 1950s through the 1970s, the exhibition captures the unequivocal truth of the enduring struggle for equality and the perseverance of Black American life.

— Tonya Blazio-Licorish, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of endure

Verb

If the team succeeds, the result could transform a technology normally associated with large laboratory instruments into a compact quantum sensor that can be carried where the threat actually is.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2026
Solomon Baggett, James Lee, Ezell Jolly and Timothy Carter all took carries with Clay out of the game.

— Michael Harley, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of carry

Verb

Because the therapy is off-label, insurance routinely denies coverage, forcing clinicians and patients to improvise — a frustration that Dombo experienced firsthand.

— Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026
The program is intended to minimize direct law enforcement interactions with residents experiencing a mental health crisis.

— Claire Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of experience

Verb

These irreparable harms should not be tolerated for a day longer.

— Ted Johnson, Deadline, 21 Sep. 2026
Our criminal system deliberately places the burden on the government and tolerates the possibility that guilty people will go free rather than lower the standard required to convict.

— Monu Bedi, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of tolerate

Verb

Singer-songwriter Aaron Rowe and Danish band Lukas Graham, who had been expected to support Sheeran on upcoming North American dates, both withdrew from the tour.

— Anna Tingley, Variety, 20 Sep. 2026
This November, Broward voters will decide whether to renew the one-mill property tax referendum that supports school safety, mental health services and employee compensation.

— Roberto Fernandez III, Sun Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of support

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suspiring

sustain

sustainable

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Style

“Sustain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sustain. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of sustain

verb

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