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.
See Examples For:
The Central Reserve Police Force didn't respond to our questions about the use of pellet guns and the injuries protesters appeared to sustain.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
“They have set up a system where it’s virtually impossible to sustain a biased policing complaint against an officer,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
The confidence boost from new leadership will also depend on the prime minister being able to sustain positive momentum in the months ahead, Bellamy said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
"Cockroach movement has made a beginning. We don't know if it will sustain," he said on social media.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
“Mean to her? It will mean she has lost her pet tiger. That’s all. She is Caesar’s daughter. She must learn to sustain such trivial losses.”
From "Tiger, Tiger" by Lynne Reid Banks
Once authorized, the facility will be allowed to load nuclear fuel and begin start-up testing to achieve first criticality—the point at which a reactor sustains a controlled nuclear chain reaction.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
“We are bound to this thing… It sustains us.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026
“Snowflake and Datadog have seen a reacceleration of revenue from AI. And so we have to see if that sustains, but that’s the best sign you could hope for,” he says.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 2, 2026
But unlike the tradwife with her gaggle of youngsters underfoot, the orangutan mother sustains this intense caretaking by spacing her kids seven or so years apart.
From Slate ● May 10, 2026
That which sustains the universe beyond thought and language, and that which is at the core of us and struggles for expression, is the same thing.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
He also noted the competition that Treasury market is now “facing from the sustained expansion in tech-related corporate debt issuance.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 26, 2026
Martin and Lewis were the founding fathers of an anarchic, side-splitting brand of comedy that combined pratfalls, ad-libbed wordplay and a sustained demolition of the fourth floor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
“Intel is well positioned to benefit from this strong sustained demand.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
If a financial bubble were to burst "or if prices remained in a sustained downward trend, the flow could dry up," said EY's Garcia.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Fortuitously, no injury was sustained by either the four-footed or two-footed victims of the misadventure.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
"The two sides underscored the importance of maintaining peace, security, and stability in the region, reducing the risk of miscalculation, and sustaining dialogue on matters of mutual concern," the statement read.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
Reece James: The Chelsea captain said it was "boring" when people discussed his fitness, but the first-choice right-back missed three games after sustaining a hamstring injury against Ghana.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
Ord Minnett anticipates Evolution’s all-in sustaining capex will rise by A$200/oz in FY27 compared with the prior 12 months.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
“It was received in a way that not only did we want to change how we, you know, approach today, but also to familiarize ourselves with sustaining the way that this feels moving forward.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
I'm about to leave when I remember the importance of sustaining the starcrossed lover routine and I lean over and give Peeta a long, lingering kiss.
From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
Vocabulary lists containing sustain
List 2
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"Joyas Voladoras" by Brian Doyle
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Mother's Day Words: What Mothers Do
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