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sustain

[ suh-steyn ]
/ səˈsteɪn /
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See synonyms for: sustain / sustained / sustaining / sustains on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)
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Origin of sustain

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English suste(i)nen, from Anglo-French sustenir, Old French, from Latin sustinēre “to uphold,” equivalent to sus- sus- + -tinēre, combining form of tenēre “to hold”

OTHER WORDS FROM sustain

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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What are other ways to say sustain?

To sustain a claim or an idea is to uphold it as valid, just or correct. How does sustain differ from the synonyms maintain, support, or uphold? Find out on Thesaurus.com

How to use sustain in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sustain

sustain
/ (səˈsteɪn) /

verb (tr)
noun
music the prolongation of a note, by playing technique or electronics

Derived forms of sustain

Word Origin for sustain

C13: via Old French from Latin sustinēre to hold up, from sub- + tenēre to hold
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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