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.
O'Leary said that along with big-budget crowd-pleasing US films, a growing suite of international fare is helping to sustain cinemas.
From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026
Separate figures suggest that amounts to more than 150,000 tonnes annually – enough to sustain three times the breeding populations of the ten commonest garden species if they relied on it alone all year round.
From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026
He contended that the evidence at trial was insufficient to sustain the conviction or to show that the proper venue for the trial was Texas.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026
Poorer countries, however, lack the funds to sustain such measures.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026
Chemical control of insects seems to have proceeded on the assumption that the soil could and would sustain any amount of insult via the introduction of poisons without striking back.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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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