Synonyms of sustain

sustain

verb

sə-ˈstān 

1

as in to nurture

to supply with nourishment

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• nurture
• satisfy
• nourish
• feed
• replenish
• fill
• sate
• satiate
• strengthen
• suckle
• fortify
• cater
• provision
• surfeit
• cloy
• nurse
• board
• victual

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

• undergo
• experience
• endure
• have
• see
• feel
• suffer
• know
• witness
• taste
• receive
• pass
• go through
• encounter
• meet
• accept
• assimilate
• digest

3

as in to endure

to put up with (something painful or difficult)

I won't sustain such insolence!

Synonyms & Similar Words

• endure
• tolerate
• stand
• handle
• accept
• take
• absorb
• bear
• support
• meet
• stomach
• abide
• swallow
• wear
• countenance
• stand for
• live with
• stick out
• lump (it)
• hack
• suffer
• brook
• go
• allow
• tough it out
• bide
• sweat out
• permit
• pocket
• reconcile (to)
• respect
• yield (to)
• acquiesce
• submit (to)
• agree (with or to)
• consent (to)
• capitulate
• assent (to)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• refuse
• reject
• decline
• dismiss
• resist
• fight
• oppose
• repudiate
• avoid
• combat
• escape
• contest
• evade
• spurn
• miss
• turn down
• circumvent
• bypass
• elude
• refrain (from)
• dodge
• forbear
• abstain (from)

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

• carry
• support
• bolster
• stay
• uphold
• underpin
• bear
• buttress
• undergird
• steady
• brace
• shore (up)
• underlie
• prop (up)
• truss

Example Sentences

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

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