sustain
Usage
What are other ways to say sustain?
To sustain, a rather elevated word, suggests completeness and adequacy in supporting: The court sustained his claim. To support is to hold up or add strength to, literally or figuratively: The columns support the roof. To maintain is to support so as to preserve intact: to maintain an attitude of defiance. 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.
This approach would be brutal in execution and expensive to sustain, but unambiguous in strategic effect.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026
"We working for nothing at the minute and we can't sustain that," he said.
From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026
“It is the policy of the Trump administration to sustain American AI dominance to protect our national security and ensure we remain the world’s leading economy,” White House spokeswoman Liz Huston said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
In all cases, pursuing the coolness factor is extremely difficult to sustain.
From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026
I also don’t understand the hunger in Tris’s eyes, devouring everything around us as if it alone can sustain her.
From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth
Vocabulary lists containing sustain
List 2
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Mother's Day Words: What Mothers Do
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"Joyas Voladoras" by Brian Doyle
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