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 And backlash will likely be sustained as more people wear the glasses, since digital rights experts have accused Meta of failing to consider civil rights or privacy ramifications when designing new features. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2026 Kurtis Rourke did not play after sustaining fractured ribs in last Thursday’s start. — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026 Beijing’s enforcement, although real, is selective and partial because elements of the illicit economy serve the country’s larger strategic goals, such as sustaining trade with Russia while maintaining distance from the war in Ukraine. — Alvin Camba, Foreign Affairs, 21 Aug. 2026 This collectively explains why educators have met with the chancellor and explicitly called to keep, improve, sustain, and grow the initiative. — Evan Stone, New York Daily News, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sustain

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sustain

Verb

City leaders and the WACO Theater Center see the reopening as an economic and cultural engine that is expected to draw thousands of patrons, spotlight Leimert Park’s Black Cultural Arts District and nurture emerging local artists.

— LaMonica Peters, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
The heavy snows purify the air and insulate the food warehouses, locking in the high humidity and stable chill necessary to nurture delicate winter koji and yeast strains without catastrophic temperature spikes.

— Adam H. Graham, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of nurture

Verb

The prototype will undergo primary assembly and integration at Xos’s Byrdstown, Tennessee, facility.

— Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 23 Aug. 2026
Schanuel tweaked his side on Thursday night, and Meckler was still undergoing concussion tests after he was hit in the head by a pitch.

— Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of undergo

Verb

Cedars-Sinai apologized for any inconvenience Marina del Rey residents endured after the hospital's construction project caused a putrid odor to spread through the coastal neighborhood.

— Nicole Comstock, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
Iran still strikes at tankers, and expects some form of control over the strait to endure even after a diplomatic settlement.

— Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of endure

Verb

Teens with a higher rate of screen time use outside of school work are more likely to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety, among other negative effects, according to the CDC.

— Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 22 Aug. 2026
How trauma affects the brain According to the World Health Organization, approximately 70 percent of people worldwide report experiencing a traumatic event in their lifetime.

— Michele Patterson Ford, Scientific American, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of experience

Verb

That means tolerating the discomfort of not getting an immediate response, and directing all that nervous energy somewhere else.

— Angela Haupt, Time, 26 Aug. 2026
The company says one potential application is a temperature logger used during the sterilization of retort food, where equipment needs to tolerate high temperatures while limiting moisture ingress.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of tolerate

Verb

Erdogan has called Netanyahu a war criminal and repeatedly accused Israel of atrocities in Gaza; Netanyahu has accused Erdogan of supporting Hamas.

— Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
The technology can support both conventional and remote sites, like areas where traditional energy infrastructure may be difficult or expensive to build.

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of support

Browse Nearby Words

suspiring

sustain

sustainable

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Style

“Sustain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sustain. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of sustain

verb

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