sustain

verb

sə-ˈstān How to pronounce sustain (audio)
Definition of sustainnext
1
as in to nurture
to supply with nourishment a granola bar should sustain you long enough to last until lunch

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
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
3
as in to endure
to put up with (something painful or difficult) I won't sustain such insolence!

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

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 Police said both the teen and Childers sustained non-life-threatening minor to moderate injuries in the crash. — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026 And starting right tackle Matt McCoy sustained what looked like a pretty significant shoulder injury against Clemson, but like Buchanan returned to finish the game. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026 Isaias has sustained winds of 45 mph and is over 500 miles south-southwest of far southeast Louisiana. — Briana Waxman, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026 Something that died but will not stay dead, that sustains itself by feeding on the living and destroying them in turn. — Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sustain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sustain
  1. nurture
  2. undergo
  3. endure
  4. carry
  5. satisfy
  6. experience
  7. tolerate
  8. support
Verb
  • For four months, the Napa grower spent four to five hours a day tending four giant pumpkin plants, watching their vines, nurturing their fruit and waiting to see just how big one of them might get.
    — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Bellen's parents focused more on nurturing their children's gifts and interests like entrepreneurship and education and supporting their endeavors.
    — Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of nurture
Verb
  • The beach has been undergone significant coastal erosion in recent years and advocates say it could be hit hard this winter.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Last year, Mitchell played just 25 games before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of undergo
Verb
  • The Lincoln, which set a record for days in between ports of call, is the second carrier to endure an unusually long deployment to support the war against Iran and to receive the Presidential Unit Citation afterward.
    — Julie Watson, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The homecoming reignited controversy over conditions endured during the unusually long deployment and reports of multiple sailors attempting suicide.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of endure
Verb
  • An ammunition depot was hit, as were a bulk carrier in the Chornomorsk port carrying dual-use goods and port infrastructure in Izmail, the ministry said.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
  • As the hundreds of thousands of people made their way down the narrow roads following the politician, a few rerouted into the industry event, still carrying big flags and with faces lit up with hope.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of carry
Verb
  • But other fairly savvy users among tech mavens don’t point to urgent needs that only Muse can satisfy.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Visually stylish and well-acted, this is a pulpy thriller that satisfies.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of satisfy
Verb
  • People can experience grief, sadness, relief, conflict or combinations of these emotions after any pregnancy outcome.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The ancient Egyptian city will experience an extraordinary 6 minutes 23 seconds of totality, close to the longest possible anywhere on Earth that day.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of experience
Verb
  • Nathan is offended and starts going on his usual rant about not tolerating disrespect toward his family.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Coaches are supposed to tell their players every season that hazing is wrong and won’t be tolerated.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of tolerate
Verb
  • SeaGuardian is the maritime variant of the MQ-9B Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS) operated by the USN as part of a Company-Owned, Company-Operated (COCO) contract with GA-ASI supporting an ongoing capability assessment for the 7th Fleet.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2026
  • That is an extraordinarily broad claim, and current evidence does not support it.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of support

Browse Nearby Words

suspiring
sustain
sustainable
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Sustain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sustain. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Luddite

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All