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 The driver sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was also transported to Maine Medical Center for evaluation. — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026 However, legal solutions aren’t enough without forward-looking policy and sustained accountability. — Susan Morrisey, STAT, 15 Sep. 2026 Fishing grounds that sustained families for generations now yield empty nets. — Sebastián López Brach, The Dial, 15 Sep. 2026 This tension, in addition to a widening trade imbalance between the two major BRICS countries, makes the trust needed for deeper financial integration hard to sustain. — Priyanka Salve,lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 15 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

The battery cells manufactured within the pilot project are currently undergoing extensive operational testing.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 19 Sep. 2026
According to the Black Women’s Health Imperative, roughly 80% of Black women will develop fibroids by age 50, compared with about 70% of white women, and Black women are two to three times more likely to undergo a hysterectomy because of them.

— As told to Ayren Jackson-Cannady, Glamour, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of undergo

Verb

Exploring the dialogue between Italy’s artisanal heritage and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, the event considers how the handmade endures in an era of rapid innovation.

— Eleonora Giordani, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2026
That was a disquieting pointer to Federal Reserve Board policy, for the central bank counted controlling inflation, not enduring full employment, as one of its mandates.

— Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 17 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 24 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of sustain

verb

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