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

That is the creative energy that crosses everything together, that sustains and fosters growth and enhances everything in life. —Andrew McGowan, Variety, 6 Jan. 2026

The electorate of this country often embraces the pendulum effect — and that chance of a swing in our political fortunes sustains my optimism for a future of peace and goodwill towards men. —Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Jan. 2026

A week later, Merrill sustains a hamstring strain that costs him a month. —Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Dec. 2025

The handles must work even if a vehicle loses power or sustains severe crash damage. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Dec. 2025

Tyler Smith sustains value at left tackle For most of the season, the Cowboys have had issues at both tackle positions. —Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Dec. 2025

But recognizing that care sustains not only families but communities too is a reminder that paid work and unpaid care are not opposites. —Jen Zamzow, The Conversation, 17 Dec. 2025

In turn, the erosion of trust has weakened the social contract that sustains representative government, leaving democracies more vulnerable to populist demagogues, institutional paralysis, and the gradual normalization of authoritarian alternatives. —Nic Cheeseman, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025

Balle’s prose—repetitive, hypnotic, and as balanced as a small plane—sustains an atmosphere of illuminated ordinariness. —Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025