1
as in preserving
to keep in good condition
he repairs and maintains antique cars as a hobby
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in defending
to continue to declare to be true or proper despite opposition or objections
part of debating is learning to maintain your position in the face of harsh challenges
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in keeping
to pay the living expenses of
we simply cannot afford to maintain a horse
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in arguing
to state (something) as a reason in support of or against something under consideration
she continued to maintain that a sewing machine would end up paying for itself since she could make her own clothes
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in insisting
to state as a fact usually forcefully
he maintains that there is indeed hard evidence for extraterrestrial visitors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of maintaining
That debate intensified this March, when city officials outlined multiple options for restructuring the city’s approach to homelessness, including maintaining LAHSA with reforms, shifting responsibilities to the county, or bringing more programs in-house.
—
Teresa Liu, Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
The office also handles business registrations, oversees the state archives and runs a potpourri of other state programs, like commissioning notaries public and maintaining a registry for advance care directives.
—Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 25 Apr. 2026
During the suspension, Cal Fire advised taking action by maintaining at least 100 feet of defensible space around every home and building and making evacuation plans.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
Over Your Dead Body knows that sustaining a harmonious union amid petty jealousies, paranoia, and personal flaws is hard; navigating a hostage situation involving desperate sickos and sociopaths is even harder; and maintaining a balance of laughs and gag-reflex tweaking is the hardest of it all.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2026
Similarly, force can disrupt Iran’s proxy networks and raise the costs of maintaining them, but regional diplomacy and cooperation have a better chance of resolving such long-running concerns.
—Valerie Morkevicius, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2026
Something else has to give to get a list price of $60 or less while keeping NextGen’s audio and video upgrades and maintaining DRM compatibility, so the concept design Pearl is advancing would sacrifice features like multiple tuners, on-device recording, and internet connectivity.
—Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 24 Apr. 2026
Rodríguez, who has cast herself as the face of a transitional government, has sought to balance cooperation with international partners while maintaining domestic stability in a country emerging from years of political and economic crisis.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Harry and Meghan, for their part, offered a different view — maintaining that a life of service was not confined to the institution but something that could be carried forward independently.
—Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026
Teresa Liu, Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026
The office also handles business registrations, oversees the state archives and runs a potpourri of other state programs, like commissioning notaries public and maintaining a registry for advance care directives.
—Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 25 Apr. 2026
During the suspension, Cal Fire advised taking action by maintaining at least 100 feet of defensible space around every home and building and making evacuation plans.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026
Over Your Dead Body knows that sustaining a harmonious union amid petty jealousies, paranoia, and personal flaws is hard; navigating a hostage situation involving desperate sickos and sociopaths is even harder; and maintaining a balance of laughs and gag-reflex tweaking is the hardest of it all.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2026
Similarly, force can disrupt Iran’s proxy networks and raise the costs of maintaining them, but regional diplomacy and cooperation have a better chance of resolving such long-running concerns.
—Valerie Morkevicius, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2026
Something else has to give to get a list price of $60 or less while keeping NextGen’s audio and video upgrades and maintaining DRM compatibility, so the concept design Pearl is advancing would sacrifice features like multiple tuners, on-device recording, and internet connectivity.
—Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 24 Apr. 2026
Rodríguez, who has cast herself as the face of a transitional government, has sought to balance cooperation with international partners while maintaining domestic stability in a country emerging from years of political and economic crisis.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Harry and Meghan, for their part, offered a different view — maintaining that a life of service was not confined to the institution but something that could be carried forward independently.
—Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maintaining
Verb
-
His work focuses on preserving stories of war and conflict, past and present.—
Benjamin Mack-Jackson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Given the importance of preserving relations with the FCC, which has a say over a range of local station matters and must approve any mergers involving the transfer of broadcast licenses, LeGeyt has deliberately avoided a direct clash with his Washington counterpart.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Just as significantly, Anunoby spent much of Tuesday night defending Jalen Johnson, the resurgent Hawks’ only All-Star, who finished with a modest 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Then Quentin Davie, the new coach of defending champion Hebron Christian and a close friend, called with an opportunity to join his staff.—
Jack Leo,
AJC.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Eagles seem intent on keeping DeJean at nickel.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
But for the moment, with Russia and the military alliance at odds over Ukraine but not at war, pilots on both sides just watched and filmed each other — keeping their distance like wary tomcats with claws unsheathed, their missiles visible but not used.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Video obtained by The News shows the victim arguing with the dog owner when a woman in red storms up and starts swinging.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The West Texas project recently received the largest air pollution permit ever granted in the US, while Musk’s Memphis project has faced multiple lawsuits arguing the gas turbines are worsening air quality in historically Black communities.—
Mark Chediak,
Fortune,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The president rejected an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for easing restrictions, insisting that larger concerns must be addressed first.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Hegseth largely declined to provide specifics, instead denouncing critics as defeatists, questioning their patriotism and insisting the mission had broad public support.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Beyond that, the responsibility passed to Sonoma Water, which is a lot more interested in conserving water for the use of cities and farms.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
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The mix seemed appropriate to higher education, which, after all, dedicates itself both to the very traditional act of conserving knowledge and to producing and disseminating fresh discoveries.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Quiet-luxury proponents would often speak of frequency of use and cost per wear in justifying a four-figure black wool sweater.—
Marisa Meltzer,
Vanity Fair,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Military technology has become more sophisticated, but the minds justifying its use are stuck in the past.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Snitker was emotional, thanking Ronnie for supporting him in this career for all these decades.—
Gabriel Burns,
AJC.com,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Investors bought tech stocks viewed as supporting the AI infrastructure buildout and dumping those seen as threatened by its adoption.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Maintaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maintaining. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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