sustain
verb
sus·tain
| \ sə-ˈstān
\
\
sustained;
sustaining;
sustains
Definition of sustain
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: to give support or relief to
2
: to supply with sustenance : nourish
5
: to buoy up
sustained by hope
7a
: to support as true, legal, or just
b
: to allow or admit as valid
the court sustained the motion
8
: to support by adequate proof : confirm
testimony that sustains our contention
sustain
nounDefinition of sustain (Entry 2 of 2)
: a musical effect that prolongs a note's resonance
utilizing heavy sustain on his guitar— Bill Dahl
Keep scrolling for more
Other Words from sustain
Verb
sustainedly
\ sə-ˈstā-nəd-lē
, -ˈstānd-lē \
adverb
, -ˈstānd-lē \
adverb
sustainer
noun
Examples of sustain in a Sentence
Verb
Hope sustained us during that difficult time. The roof, unable to sustain the weight of all the snow, collapsed. The army sustained heavy losses. He sustained serious injuries in the accident.
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Boy Scouts Scout Master Tammy Means said the six girls in the all-female troop have planned their own meetings and activities from October through July as a means of becoming a self-sustaining troop, one of their top priorities. — Ramona Sentinel, "Boy Scout troop gains traction with six girls," 21 Aug. 2019 There is no paved road to the entrance of the park, no trails, and no visitor services, so all travelers have to be totally self-sustained. — Jae Thomas, Marie Claire, "The Best National Parks for Every Kind of Vacation," 15 Aug. 2019 Empowering women with the freedom of mobility SMV currently employs 55 people and has shifted gears to a self-sustaining model. — Kartik Chandramouli, Quartz India, "How former rickshaw pullers are steering a green revolution on Indian roads," 7 Aug. 2019 With four qualification slots available for the Champions League, the Big Four was effectively self-sustaining. — Jonathan Wilson, SI.com, "Dominance of Manchester City and Liverpool Means the Myth of the 'Big Six' Is Gone," 6 Aug. 2019 Mr de Merode says the park could be financially self-sustaining by the end of 2022. — The Economist, "How do you reform a country where gunmen torch Ebola clinics?," 2 Aug. 2019 State wildlife officials will continue to release the turtles for two more years and to monitor their progress; the goal is to eventually have them breed in the wild and become a self-sustaining population. — Nara Schoenberg, chicagotribune.com, "‘A face only its mother could love’: Ugly, cranky, endangered alligator snapping turtles get boost from Illinois students, who raise and release them into the wild," 27 July 2019 Fact is, no single preserve holds a wolverine population large enough to be truly self-sustaining. — National Geographic, "As wolverines battle to survive, warming poses a new threat," 11 July 2019 VCs have been the lifeblood of virtually every successful tech startup for generations, enabling entrepreneurs to create and refine innovative products and rapidly scale to self-sustaining profitability. — Leonard Sherman, WIRED, "'Blitzscaling' Is Choking Innovation—and Wasting Money," 11 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The movie is filled with stunning landscapes, and the sleek lions are part of an arid but beautiful terrain that both sustains and threatens. — Erin Blakemore, Washington Post, "Rare desert lions are magnificent, and you can see them in their home territory," 8 July 2018 Smythe stood, bent over the open piano, manipulating the strings while the sustain pedal was depressed by ensemble member Eric Segnitz. — Elaine Schmidt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Present Music takes a chance on unpredictable sounds," 23 Feb. 2018 His efficiency is helping the TCU offense sustain drives and give the defense rest. — Matt Jennings, ajc, "TCU QB Kenny Hill finally learning ‘how to win,’ Gary Patterson says," 24 Sep. 2017 Our hybrid elective-hereditary peoplehood sustains and upholds our ideals. — Nicholas M. Gallagher, National Review, "America Needs to Reconcile Its Id and Superego," 11 July 2017 In all, the team started three different quarterbacks throughout the year, had a fourth sustain a season-ending injury during fall camp and a fifth waiting in the wings in case of an emergency. — Tom Green, AL.com, "The most important lesson Auburn's Chip Lindsey learned at Arizona State," 29 May 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sustain.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for sustain
sustain
verb
English Language Learners Definition of sustain
: to provide what is needed for (something or someone) to exist, continue, etc.
formal
: to hold up the weight of (something)
formal
: to deal with or experience (something bad or unpleasant)
See the full definition for sustain in the English Language Learners Dictionary
sustain
verb
sus·tain
| \ sə-ˈstān
\
\
sustained;
sustaining
Kids Definition of sustain
1
: to provide with what is needed
Food sustains life.
2
: to keep up the spirits of
Hope sustained us.
3
: to keep up :