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

Synonyms & Similar Words
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

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 Similar markets were available after Anthony Edwards sustained an injury in the NBA playoffs. — Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 9 July 2026 However, Brian Cashman said Thursday that Stanton actually sustained a new calf strain in a similar spot. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 9 July 2026 Officials said that two people were killed in the collision, and four others sustained injuries ranging from minor to moderate. — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 9 July 2026 Through it all, he was sustained by his devout Catholic faith. — Jason Mast, STAT, 9 July 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
  • As the nurturing Moon enters your 4th House of Home and Family, comfort wants structure and small domestic systems feel soothing.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 6 July 2026
  • Instead, these events may have developed to nurture feelings of closeness in large groups in much the same way as social grooming does between pairs of apes.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 6 July 2026
Definition of nurture
Verb
  • North Field on Tinian, which was once the busiest airport in the world, was shut down after the war but is undergoing renovation to become an alternate base to Guam as Washington tries to disperse its assets around the region.
    — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
  • It is recommended that any batteries in devices that will be stored for significant periods should undergo a maintenance routine to maintain their health by charging them to half capacity every six months.
    — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026
Definition of undergo
Verb
  • Not bad considering his fight to find feel after missing most of last year with injuries and enduring a five-start slump from the end of May through the middle of June.
    — Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2026
  • Hughes employs this as another piece of his development philosophy — similar to the battle days Kennedy endured in high school.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 9 July 2026
Definition of endure
Verb
  • In Orange County, its vector control district reported its first disease-carrying mosquitoes in Newport Beach on June 2.
    — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • Refrain from entering water that might carry an electric current and avoid walking through floodwaters.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of carry
Verb
  • The pledge did not immediately satisfy hardline conservatives, who ground operations in the House to a halt last week.
    — Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 7 July 2026
  • The problem is that, even though the product satisfies the need, the consumer didn't care.
    — David Mahbub, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of satisfy
Verb
  • Those who experienced the earthquake are encouraged to report it through the USGS Felt Report form.
    — CA Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 12 July 2026
  • Switzerland experienced a range of emotions midway through the second half.
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 12 July 2026
Definition of experience
Verb
  • The prevailing stereotype is that people of color can tolerate spicy food better than white people, and data show the majority of Reddit users are white.
    — Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 8 July 2026
  • Studies have shown that overfertilizing can weaken the underground partnerships between plants and microbes that are fundamental to helping plants access nutrients and tolerate stress.
    — Esther Ndumi Ngumbi, The Conversation, 8 July 2026
Definition of tolerate
Verb
  • During a 2019-20 artist residency with New York City’s Department of Records and Information Services, Weist mined municipal archives for records revealing how city government had defined, supported and monitored past artists.
    — Rhoda Feng, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
  • Developed by L3Harris Technologies under the Combat Mission Systems Support framework, the system will be operated by the command's Space Delta 3 (DEL 3) – Space Electromagnetic Warfare, with acquisition and sustainment supported by System Delta 89.
    — David Szondy July 06, New Atlas, 7 July 2026
Definition of support

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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 13 Jul. 2026.

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