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

Although security needs to be nurtured year-round, the High Holidays offer a timely reason to review these best practices and improve the habits that keep our organizations safe in the weeks ahead and throughout the year.

— Richard Priem, Sun Sentinel, 8 Sep. 2026
Steinem has encouraged generations to nurture their relationships and build community.

— Sara Noelle Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of nurture

Verb

Under suitable heat and processing conditions, parts of this network can undergo bond-exchange reactions, allowing the network to rearrange rather than remaining permanently locked in one configuration.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Sep. 2026
For all his exposure to high-level competition while growing up in Southern California and playing for Team USA, Crow-Armstrong was still only 21, acclimating to the speed of the game and trying to fit into a team undergoing a late-season collapse.

— Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of undergo

Verb

Palestinians possess no natural gift for grief and there is nothing beautiful about enduring destruction and death.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
The Vikings went 9-8 last season while enduring a QB carousel that was among the worst in the league.

— Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of endure

Verb

That version would carry 10MJ electromagnetic armor and about five tonnes of advanced energy storage.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Sep. 2026
Authorities didn't comment on the drone's origin or purpose, saying further investigation was needed, but two senior officials said the device was likely carrying explosives.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of carry

Verb

To satisfy its voracity for billions of pages, Anthropic started out by placing mass orders with wholesalers, before turning to individual and secondhand booksellers to help fill in the gaps.

— Francesca Mancino, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2026
There are other ways to provide enrichment, like rotating toys every day to stimulate exploration, using puzzle feeder dishes to satisfy hunting behaviors and playing videos for your cat showing birds or fish.

— Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of satisfy

Verb

The sting of the title-game loss will remain, but a little reminder from the past — directly from the players who experienced it — certainly has the chance to leave a lasting impact for the future.

— Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026
Since the assault, the woman has experienced post-traumatic stress disorder, severe anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression.

— Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of experience

Verb

If tolerated, players can also attend team meetings and film study.

— Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2026
His warning was meant for American eyes and ears at least as much — if not more so — than for the government in Jerusalem that until now has encouraged the hoodlums by tolerating their violence.

— Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of tolerate

Verb

If the folks in charge really fixed the offensive line, maybe new coach Todd Monken’s offense can create big plays and support a defense that still has top talent.

— Zac Jackson, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
The documentary is narrated by actor Gary Sinise, whose own direction in life was profoundly affected by the attacks and ultimately inspired the creation of his foundation to support veterans, first responders, and their families.

— Amy DeLaura, The Washington Examiner, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of support

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suspiring

sustain

sustainable

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“Sustain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sustain. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of sustain

verb

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