maintain

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as in to keep
to pay the living expenses of we simply cannot afford to maintain a horse

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb maintain differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of maintain are assert, defend, justify, and vindicate. While all these words mean "to uphold as true, right, just, or reasonable," maintain stresses firmness of conviction.

steadfastly maintained his innocence

When would assert be a good substitute for maintain?

Although the words assert and maintain have much in common, assert suggests determination to make others accept one's claim.

asserted her rights

When could defend be used to replace maintain?

In some situations, the words defend and maintain are roughly equivalent. However, defend implies maintaining in the face of attack or criticism.

defended his voting record

When is it sensible to use justify instead of maintain?

The words justify and maintain can be used in similar contexts, but justify implies showing to be true, just, or valid by appeal to a standard or to precedent.

the action was used to justify military intervention

In what contexts can vindicate take the place of maintain?

The meanings of vindicate and maintain largely overlap; however, vindicate implies successfully defending.

his success vindicated our faith in him

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 maintain She was released on probation, the terms of which required her to maintain an approved residential address. Sarah Stillman, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025 Rolex’s Oyster Perpetual maintained its icon status through restraint and excellence with sublime new dial colors. Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 14 Apr. 2025 The two met in 2019, during Trump’s first term, when Bukele asked for the administration to maintain Temporary Protected Status for Salvadorans. Haisten Willis, The Washington Examiner, 14 Apr. 2025 However, that seems to be less effective for maintaining constant blood levels over the long term than simply taking smaller regular doses of around 800 to 2000 IU daily. Mélanie Defouilloy, Vogue, 14 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for maintain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for maintain
Verb
  • In recent years, civil rights groups and others have ramped up efforts to preserve the history of underrepresented communities in America.
    Deborah Barfield Berry, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025
  • Kawhi Leonard’s Game 2 gem should be preserved for all eternity.
    Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • In a twist from the first Trump administration, which tried to kill Barack Obama's landmark health insurance law, Trump's Justice Department is defending the law.
    Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2025
  • The Biden administration appealed to the Supreme Court and the Trump administration has continued to defend the board's structure.
    Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Below are the ones that will help keep the area around your nose clear and irritation-free.
    Daley Quinn, Glamour, 15 Apr. 2025
  • This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.
    Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report, FOXNews.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The anti-Amendment 4 website hosted by the Agency for Health Care Administration led to court challenges from people who argued the state was improperly using its official power, including one case in front of the Florida Supreme Court.
    Ana Ceballos, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2025
  • And some would argue that the lawsuits from NYT and others against OpenAI or other model companies represent a case of this.
    John Werner, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Sheinbaum remained vague on details, but insisted that her administration would seek to work with Trump.
    Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025
  • All of which leaves Francis, the spiritual leader of more than a billion Catholics, insisting on a welcoming and internationalist worldview that has gone out of style.
    Jason Horowitz, Vogue, 21 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Similarly, a home that conserves water and reduces waste is considered sustainable.
    Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Apr. 2025
  • The fact that most of their plants are drought tolerant and their dry swale retains a moist environment after catching the rain means another way to save and conserve water.
    Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • As a result, the court ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to either determine whether greenhouse gases from new vehicles contribute to climate change, and therefore endanger human health, or justify its refusal to study the issue.
    Hannah Wiseman, The Conversation, 18 Apr. 2025
  • There are also questions about his logic justifying the policy.
    CBS News, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Survivors and community members at Florida State University came together to grieve and support each other at a vigil that drew thousands after two people were killed and more were injured in an April 17 campus shooting.
    Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025
  • This helps centers maximize resource recovery and supports the transition to a circular economy.
    Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report, FOXNews.com, 19 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Maintain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/maintain. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

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