sustained

Definition of sustainednext
past tense of sustain
1
as in nurtured
to supply with nourishment a granola bar should sustain you long enough to last until lunch

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in experienced
to come to a knowledge of (something) by living through it sustained serious injuries in the car crash

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3
4
as in bolstered
to hold up or serve as a foundation for that old chair won't sustain your weight

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sustained Hart sustained lower back spasms in the preseason opener in October and missed three weeks of action. Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 29 Apr. 2026 Two of the customers sustained minor injuries. Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026 Bromley rely on chaos and marginal gains but there is a method to their madness, without which sustained excellence over a league season would be impossible. Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2026 His sister-in-law and another child also sustained injuries in the attack. Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sustained
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sustained
Verb
  • Along the way, the newshound nurtured a personal passion for writing poetry as an outlet for coping with homesickness and stress.
    Catharine Kaufman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
  • That willingness to share comes from the safe space that Howard Stern has built and nurtured.
    Malina Saval, Rolling Stone, 16 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Other participants experienced the sounds within the context of their dreams; in one, the question seemed to emanate from a dream radio.
    Shayla Love, New Yorker, 1 May 2026
  • Earlier this month, the Times of India reported an Air India Express pilot experienced a cardiac arrest at Delhi Airport on April 8.
    Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 30 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Given everything that Schalke have endured over the past decade — two relegations, authored by all sorts of coaching, managerial and financial dysfunction — the creeping sense of doom must have felt terribly familiar.
    Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
  • In northern Israel, fear and anger The ceasefire with Lebanon has stoked deep disappointment in Israeli towns near the border that have endured a month and a half of missile fire from Hezbollah.
    Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The Hurricanes and Avalanche have bolstered their standing as Stanley Cup betting faves.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 26 Apr. 2026
  • The Commanders also bolstered their pass rush and found more depth with Josephs, a player with rare length and explosiveness.
    Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • What has followed, a decade plus of stunning hockey played by the most talented hockey player on earth, has satisfied all desires but the most important one.
    Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2026
  • Long after a clinical decision has set events in motion, a second system activates to verify whether the decision satisfied the rules.
    Holland Haynie, STAT, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The Lions had 42 varsity players this year, including 22 girls.
    Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2026
  • The junior right-hander finally had some breathing room.
    Tony Baranek, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • So, the ribosome provides a very stringent test of whether engineering out an amino acid can be tolerated by cells.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 30 Apr. 2026
  • It would be dedicated to the heroic patience with which Americans have tolerated billionaires like him for so very long.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Iranian Vice President Esmael Saghab Esfahani said any strike on the country’s oil wells would prompt a retaliatory attack, according to a statement carried by the semiofficial Mehr News Agency.
    Sarah Dean, NBC news, 25 Apr. 2026
  • Clothes were washed outdoors in a heavy barrel called a zhlukto, or carried to a nearby stream.
    Lizzie Johnson, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Sustained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sustained. Accessed 1 May. 2026.

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