Synonyms of sustains

sustains

verb

present tense third-person singular of sustain

1

as in nurtures

to supply with nourishment

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• nurtures
• satisfies
• nourishes
• feeds
• satiates
• fills
• replenishes
• suckles
• fortifies
• strengthens
• caters
• sates
• cloys
• provisions
• surfeits
• boards
• nurses
• victuals

2

as in undergoes

to come to a knowledge of (something) by living through it

sustained serious injuries in the car crash

Synonyms & Similar Words

• undergoes
• experiences
• has
• endures
• sees
• feels
• knows
• suffers
• witnesses
• goes through
• receives
• tastes
• passes
• encounters
• accepts
• meets
• assimilates
• digests

3

as in endures

to put up with (something painful or difficult)

I won't sustain such insolence!

Synonyms & Similar Words

• endures
• tolerates
• stands
• accepts
• takes
• handles
• absorbs
• bears
• supports
• meets
• abides
• wears
• swallows
• stands for
• sticks out
• lives with
• brooks
• suffers
• lumps (it)
• countenances
• bides
• goes
• pockets
• stomachs
• allows
• sweats out
• hacks
• permits
• toughs it out
• respects
• acquiesces
• reconciles (to)
• yields (to)
• agrees (with or to)
• capitulates
• submits (to)
• consents (to)
• assents (to)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• refuses
• rejects
• dismisses
• declines
• opposes
• resists
• repudiates
• spurns
• avoids
• escapes
• turns down
• fights
• combats
• misses
• evades
• eludes
• bypasses
• contests
• circumvents
• dodges
• refrains (from)
• abstains (from)
• forbears

4

as in supports

to hold up or serve as a foundation for

that old chair won't sustain your weight

Synonyms & Similar Words

• supports
• carries
• bolsters
• stays
• upholds
• underpins
• undergirds
• bears
• underlies
• shores (up)
• buttresses
• braces
• steadies
• props (up)
• trusses

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of sustains

More potassium nitrate sustains a longer burn; more sulfur quickens the explosion. — Paige Williams, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026

Certainly, if a position sustains damage, Tobin would never block off the idea of adding, and that’s in play every year. — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 27 July 2026

The pacing sometimes goes slack, but even when the narrative starts wandering, Simple Town boasts a goofy magnetism that sustains the movie astonishingly well. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 21 July 2026

At least this time, the voice of my people, deprived of their rights by the zombie state and the American government that sustains it, was heard. — Rafael Osío Cabrices, Time, 20 July 2026

Beyond creating lifelong memories for families, the OC Fair is a key economic driver for the county that generates $109 million in wages and sustains nearly 2,200 jobs a year, according to an industry study released in May. — Claire Wang, Oc Register, 13 July 2026

What sustains a relationship over years and decades is not the occasional spectacular gesture but a subtle, more repetitive pattern of behavior. — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026

Ruffian, racing on the lead, sustains a severe leg injury and is pulled up by jockey Jacinto Vasquez. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026

Rubbed out by the day’s events, the kolams—an art form that sustains the diurnal rhythm of the universe—are faithfully recast the next morning. — Chandrahas Choudhury, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 July 2026