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

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

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

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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

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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 The latter was important to Kaphar, who wanted to provide the sort of practical education about sustaining a career that art schools often neglect. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 27 Aug. 2026 The tête-a-tête between Jack and Nora gets tedious pretty quickly, while as counterparts, Dani, Chad and Bianca are just not smart, sympathetic or interesting enough to sustain our interest in this labyrinthine plot. — Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026 The Kia driver sustained minor injuries on his hands, while two girls from the volleyball team were taken to Norton Children’s Hospital for evaluation of non-life threatening injuries. — Caroline Neal, Louisville Courier Journal, 27 Aug. 2026 Officers entered the home and quickly found Wang, who had sustained multiple gunshot wounds. — Harry Harris, Mercury News, 27 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
  • City leaders and the WACO Theater Center see the reopening as an economic and cultural engine that is expected to draw thousands of patrons, spotlight Leimert Park’s Black Cultural Arts District and nurture emerging local artists.
    — LaMonica Peters, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The heavy snows purify the air and insulate the food warehouses, locking in the high humidity and stable chill necessary to nurture delicate winter koji and yeast strains without catastrophic temperature spikes.
    — Adam H. Graham, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of nurture
Verb
  • The prototype will undergo primary assembly and integration at Xos’s Byrdstown, Tennessee, facility.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Schanuel tweaked his side on Thursday night, and Meckler was still undergoing concussion tests after he was hit in the head by a pitch.
    — Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of undergo
Verb
  • While a cause of death has not yet been reported, the actor endured serious health issues in the years after experiencing a major stroke in 2012.
    — Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The footage shows contestants happily enduring all sorts of mayhem, while being guided by the voice of the late actor Gene Wilder, who famously played Willy Wonka in the 1971 movie.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of endure
Verb
  • Highlight one strong detail, ask what outcome matters most, and let your craft carry the room.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Moon Jong-won rounds out the cast as Um Sang-pil, who runs a bed-and-breakfast and carries a past shrouded in mystery.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of carry
Verb
  • Two exes alleged Watts blew past their boundaries to satisfy his own needs.
    — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 24 Aug. 2026
  • But this does not eliminate whether Walter will eventually need to sell his sports assets to satisfy lenders, regulators or investors.
    — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of satisfy
Verb
  • Of course, the Mets would look awfully silly if Soto experiences another calf issue.
    — Will Sammon, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Some areas that have seen an influx of people haven’t experienced the same kind of declines that other parts of the county have.
    — Austin Horn, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of experience
Verb
  • That means tolerating the discomfort of not getting an immediate response, and directing all that nervous energy somewhere else.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The company says one potential application is a temperature logger used during the sterilization of retort food, where equipment needs to tolerate high temperatures while limiting moisture ingress.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of tolerate
Verb
  • Erdogan has called Netanyahu a war criminal and repeatedly accused Israel of atrocities in Gaza; Netanyahu has accused Erdogan of supporting Hamas.
    — Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The technology can support both conventional and remote sites, like areas where traditional energy infrastructure may be difficult or expensive to build.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of support

Browse Nearby Words

suspiring
sustain
sustainable
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Cite this Entry

“Sustain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sustain. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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