collocation · neutral
sustain a relationship
UK/səˈsteɪn ə rɪˈleɪʃənʃɪp/US/səˈsteɪn ə rɪˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp/sus·TAIN a re·LA·tion·ship
to keep a relationship going over time, especially through difficulties
Examples
“Couples need commitment and compromise to sustain a relationship.”
“Long working hours make it harder to sustain a relationship.”
“Open communication helps partners sustain a relationship during stress.”
Band 8 sentence
“To sustain a relationship in the long term, partners must negotiate changing priorities and external pressures together.”
Collocations
- sustain a relationship over time
- sustain a long-distance relationship
Word family
Common mistakes
to sustain relationship→sustain a relationship
sustaining relationship→sustain a relationship
Say it for a higher band
5keep a relationship→6maintain a relationship→7+sustain a relationship
Synonyms
maintain a relationship
Easily confused
maintain a relationship
“They struggled to maintain a relationship when their careers demanded so much time.”
Related words
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In Family & Relationships
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