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Definitions

maintain

[mayn-tayn] / meɪnˈteɪn /




Usage

What are other ways to say maintain? To maintain is to support so as to preserve intact: to maintain an attitude of defiance. To support is to hold up or add strength to, literally or figuratively: The columns support the roof. To sustain, a rather elevated word, suggests completeness and adequacy in supporting: The court sustained his claim. Uphold applies especially to supporting or backing another, as in a statement, opinion, or belief: to uphold the rights of a minority.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Tom Drury returns to the world of Grouse County, whose denizens are getting older yet still maintain their human idiosyncrasies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026

Gamble recalled a performer who writhed on the floor while sob-singing Lou Bega’s “Mambo No. 5,” which could be sad considering the protagonist’s inability to maintain a steady relationship.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026

By identifying a major cause of errors during simultaneous operation, the scientists developed a technique to reduce those errors and maintain precision.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 26, 2026

"Sometimes we have to curtail certain solar power plants to maintain the stability of the system. That is why some people have the perception that the government is not encouraging solar power," Karunathilaka said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026

The Incorrigibles wanted to play, too, but Penelope explained that they would help choose the winner and must therefore stay behind and eat second helpings of pancakes in order to maintain their neutrality.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

He’s the author of “Pathways,” a 2023 book of photographs and maintains a website focused on his work.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026

The resultant volatility has led analysts to attach a much higher equity risk premium to Korean stocks and Moe maintains this explains roughly half of the Kospi’s 40% drop.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026

Morgan maintains a strategic overweight in German bonds versus U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026

Dan Mackta, managing director at Qobuz, an online music platform that maintains a strict human-first approach to curation, agrees the technology "is never going to want to throw a curve ball at you".

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

It maintains cholesterol at its proper level in the blood plasma, and inactivates the male and female hormones when they reach excessive levels.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

For years, Netanyahu maintained that the foundations of Israel's security rested on military strength but he also gained a reputation for caution.

From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2026

Until September Mr. da Silva maintained a comfortable lead in the polls.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026

Their results showed that exceptionally high accuracy could be maintained even when multiple qubits were operating simultaneously.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 26, 2026

Holmes has maintained that she has little money left.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026

He did not philosophize about the law or his responsibilities, but Tom noticed that he always maintained the same manner, no matter whether the prisoners were black or white or Mexican.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide responded to Trump's comments about the Nobel prize on Monday, maintaining that the committee is independent.

From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026

Hong Leong cuts Press Metal’s target price to 7.44 ringgit from 8.22 ringgit, while maintaining a hold rating.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026

Shared control lines could offer a more practical way to expand these systems while maintaining the precision needed for quantum calculations.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 26, 2026

Essentially, the Haredi Public Party is offering a compromise in which the ultra-Orthodox would contribute more to Israel as a whole while maintaining the core of their identity.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

If heredity had no means of maintaining variance—of “fixing” the altered trait—then all alterations in characters would eventually vanish into colorless oblivion by virtue of blending.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee


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