SUSTAINING Synonyms: 141 Similar and Opposite Words

sustaining 1 of 2

noun

Definition of sustaining

as in support

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Dissimilar Words

sustaining

2 of 2

verb

present participle of sustain

as in nurturing

to supply with nourishment a granola bar should sustain you long enough to last until lunch

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in experiencing

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in enduring

to put up with (something painful or difficult) I won't sustain such insolence!

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in supporting

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 sustaining

Noun

About 40 birds were released in phases between 2021 and 2023, and scientists now say the population is showing signs of becoming self-sustaining. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 28 July 2026 Fiercely protective of their culture, and almost uniquely self-sustaining within the wider UK dance-music scene, jungle and drum’n’bass have long tended to exist in their own siloed enclave. — Will Pritchard, Pitchfork, 20 July 2026 These molecules could serve as the building blocks of more complex organic molecules, which are vital in the development and sustaining of life. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 6 Feb. 2026

Verb

Still, the Sky have not earned a reputation for sustaining a system from year to year — and the status of the remaining roster does not lend itself to a building process for the Sky. — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026 Trey Moore, who had emerged as a front-runner to start at linebacker for the Dolphins, will be out awhile after sustaining an ankle injury during Saturday’s 26-3 preseason loss to the Giants. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 23 Aug. 2026 Beyond giving Russia a foothold and a warm-water port, these bases were also vital for sustaining and resupplying its military and paramilitary operations in Africa. — Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026 There are currently 17 albums in the Squeeze catalogue, including the one from 1984 credited not to Squeeze as a band but to the two key sustaining members and main songwriters, Tilbrook and Chris Difford. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026 Andy Pages leans toward hand surgery after sustaining a fracture Friday against the Pirates. — Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 22 Aug. 2026 Wide receivers Tutu Atwell and AJ Henning were suited up after sustaining injury scares at the joint session. — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 22 Aug. 2026 Kurtis Rourke did not play after sustaining fractured ribs in last Thursday’s start. — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026 Beijing’s enforcement, although real, is selective and partial because elements of the illicit economy serve the country’s larger strategic goals, such as sustaining trade with Russia while maintaining distance from the war in Ukraine. — Alvin Camba, Foreign Affairs, 21 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sustaining

Noun

Yet, earlier this month, I, my fellow editors and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration personnel were informed that support for the Arctic Report Card — our flagship annual report since 2006 — is canceled.

— Twila Moon, Washington Post, 31 Aug. 2026
Demographic experts are cautiously optimistic about the new scheme, which appears to offer more sustained and holistic support for families.

— Angelica Ang, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of support

Verb

Leaders are crucial, identifying and nurturing employee potential.

— Shep Hyken, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Early on, while nurturing the skills that would lead him to a Cy Young Award, a World Series win and many other accolades, Hershiser had his eye on becoming a sports broadcaster as a second act for his career.

— Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of nurturing

Verb

One of her biggest gripes is how often the beauty industry flogs acidic products to control oil production when women are experiencing hormonal imbalance.

— Bella Webb, Vogue, 28 Aug. 2026
Research also suggested that traveling together strengthens family bonds, and experiencing new cultures firsthand helps children expand their worldview.

— Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of experiencing

Verb

In a strange way, Alexia Putellas’ move to London City Lionesses this summer encapsulates an enduring thread of recent transfer windows in the Women’s Super League.

— Katie Whyatt, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
The flood was a major blow to an enduring effort to modernize the pipeline that serves 6 million visitors a year and roughly 1,600 residents of Grand Canyon Village.

— Jamie Stengle, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of enduring

Verb

The bridge’s 22 piers were seismically retrofitted from the water upward in 2002, but the underwater infrastructure supporting the piers hasn’t been renovated or upgraded since the bridge opened to traffic in 1969.

— David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Aug. 2026
Fewer workers are splitting the cost of supporting a larger, longer-living retired population.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of supporting

Verb

Before sending any money, make sure the document specifies the total settlement amount, when each payment is due and that satisfying those terms will resolve the remaining balance as agreed.

— Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
Instead, Capcom is emphasizing satisfying swordplay and a more traditional action-adventure structure.

— Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of satisfying

Verb

With the industry undergoing contraction and facing challenges, the name could be perceived as a metaphor about the future of the television business.

— Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 25 Aug. 2026
What little furniture Frank did use in his own home and in those of his daring clientele followed a similar ethos, which some speculate was his extreme spin on the streamlined 18th-century furniture of Louis XVI, undergoing a resurgence at the time.

— Architectural Digest, Architectural Digest, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of undergoing

Verb

Furthermore, relationships themselves teach basic psychological capacities such as regulating emotions, tolerating disappointment, and negotiating differences—skills which therapy is supposed to cultivate.

— David H. Rosmarin, Time, 29 Aug. 2026
Either way, civilizationism would prescribe a more consistent strategy of military withdrawal from the region, a tack tantamount to tolerating Chinese hegemony in its sphere.

— Leonard A. Schuette, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of tolerating

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“Sustaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sustaining. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of sustaining

noun

verb

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