verb · academic
sustain
/səˈsteɪn/sus·TAIN
to keep something going over time; to support or maintain
Examples
“Sustainable farming practices help sustain crop yields year after year.”
“The local council struggled to sustain public services with limited funding.”
“Many businesses find it hard to sustain growth during an economic downturn.”
Band 8 sentence
“Long-term environmental policies are necessary to sustain biodiversity in the face of climate change.”
Collocations
- sustain growth
- sustain damage/injury
- sustain a level/standard
Word family
Common mistakes
He sustain the project for two years.→He sustains the project for two years.
They sustained the economy from decline.→They sustained the economy despite the decline.
Say it for a higher band
5keep→6preserve→7+sustain
Synonyms
support
preserve
Easily confused
preserve
“Efforts to preserve historical buildings differ from policies designed to sustain economic growth.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In Sublist 5
Learn it with its set