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 Looking to the future, Mastrangelo foresees an industrywide return to small-batch practice as a template for sustaining one’s business. — Adrian Madlener, Curbed, 30 Sep. 2026 Tabuk airport said in a statement that the captain and co-pilot who had sustained injuries were sent to a hospital for medical treatment. — Gerry Shih, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026 As energy consumption climbs rapidly from data centers and artificial intelligence workloads, SMR deployments may provide the round-the-clock power grid operators need to sustain growth. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2026 Individual resilience alone can’t sustain a workforce through prolonged and compounding change. — Christine Muldoon, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sustain

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sustain

Verb

To facilitate adoption, leaders should nurture the skills that make managers early adopters across the team.

— Corey Ercanbrack, Forbes.com, 24 Sep. 2026
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

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

The companies and economies that endure will be the ones that can balance growth, resilience and sustainability—and change before outside pressure forces them to.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
The play is a gently unfolding, calmly delivered tale of the decades of horrors endured by a real-life person named Eddie Jaku.

— Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of endure

Verb

In July, the Drug Enforcement Agency proposed temporarily designating 7-OH above a certain threshold of potency as Schedule I, the category for drugs that carry the most risk without any medical benefit.

— Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 30 Sep. 2026
Smith accepted a deal from prosecutors in March, pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

— Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of carry

Verb

Only Khamenia and Dzafic, who didn’t see much playing time at all for coach John Calipari, experienced comparable expectations at their previous stops.

— Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026
Level 1 is ideal for anyone new to acupressure while Level 2 is for the experienced, with more initial discomfort but a deeper release.

— ABC News, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of experience

Verb

Goktas said political humor had been tolerated in the past and the laws regarding insult had not changed.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026
Fazio is cast as a superhero in one ad, strong enough to save Connecticut from expensive electricity and high taxes tolerated by Lamont.

— Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of tolerate

Verb

To support his debut as an SNL host, the Knicks starting five, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, were all in attendance.

— McKinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 27 Sep. 2026
These can be enjoyed with compatible headphones and speakers (like some from Sonos) that support this virtual surround sound technology.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 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 3 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of sustain

verb

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