Synonyms for maintain
meɪnˈteɪnmain·tain

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:2.8 / 5 votes

1. maintain

   To allege is formally to state as true or capable of proof, but without proving. To adduce, literally to lead to, is to bring the evidence up to what has been alleged. Adduce is a secondary word; nothing can be adduced in evidence till something has been stated or alleged, which the evidence is to sustain. An alleged fact stands open to question or doubt. To speak of an alleged document, an alleged will, an alleged crime, is either to question, or at least very carefully to refrain from admitting, that the document exists, that the will is genuine, or that the crime has been committed. Alleged is, however, respectful; to speak of the "so-called" will or deed, etc., would be to cast discredit upon the document, and imply that the speaker was ready to brand it as unquestionably spurious; alleged simply concedes nothing and leaves the question open. To produce is to bring forward, as, for instance, papers or persons. Adduce is not used of persons; of them we say introduce or produce. When an alleged criminal is brought to trial, the counsel on either side are accustomed to advance a theory, and adduce the strongest possible evidence in its support; they will produce documents and witnesses, cite precedents, assign reasons, introduce suggestions, offer pleas. The accused will usually assert his innocence. Compare STATE.

   Synonyms:
   adduce, advance, affirm, allege, assert, asseverate, assign, aver, cite, claim, declare, introduce, offer, plead, produce, say, state

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. keep, maintain, holdverb

   keep in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., "keep clean"

   "hold in place"; "She always held herself as a lady"; "The students keep me on my toes"

   Synonyms:
   accommodate, harbor, book, retain, conserve, moderate, view as, support, apply, hold back, harbour, take hold, exert, bind, hold on, hold up, entertain, continue, stay fresh, wield, take, have, concord, go along, check, make, give, go for, take for, throw, defy, control, go on, celebrate, hold open, keep, proceed, obligate, keep up, carry, observe, adjudge, have got, concur, nurse, assert, curb, defend, uphold, save, confine, preserve, prevent, arrest, restrain, declare, withstand, agree, deem, keep open, halt, keep on, asseverate, obtain, guard, oblige, contain, keep back, sustain, prevail, reserve, admit, hold, hold in, bear

2. conserve, preserve, maintain, keep upverb

   keep in safety and protect from harm, decay, loss, or destruction

   "We preserve these archeological findings"; "The old lady could not keep up the building"; "children must be taught to conserve our national heritage"; "The museum curator conserved the ancient manuscripts"

   Synonyms:
   follow, asseverate, carry on, keep, conserve, economise, observe, economize, hold, husband, sustain, defend, assert, wield, uphold, keep up, keep abreast, exert, bear on, preserve, continue, save, prolong

3. sustain, keep, maintainverb

   supply with necessities and support

   "She alone sustained her family"; "The money will sustain our good cause"; "There's little to earn and many to keep"

   Synonyms:
   retain, conserve, get, support, hold back, corroborate, exert, affirm, hold on, hold up, continue, stay fresh, wield, have, go along, defend, assert, celebrate, hold open, keep, proceed, nurture, keep up, observe, nourish, go on, hold, uphold, confirm, save, preserve, prevent, restrain, keep open, suffer, keep on, asseverate, prolong, keep back, sustain, substantiate

4. assert, asseverate, maintainverb

   state categorically

   Synonyms:
   asseverate, affirm, keep, conserve, observe, wield, hold, sustain, aver, keep up, avow, defend, put forward, swan, swear, insist, exert, uphold, preserve, assert, verify

5. wield, exert, maintainverb

   have and exercise

   "wield power and authority"

   Synonyms:
   asseverate, keep up, keep, conserve, observe, wield, hold, handle, manage, assert, defend, sustain, exert, uphold, preserve, exercise

6. keep, maintainverb

   maintain for use and service

   "I keep a car in the countryside"; "She keeps an apartment in Paris for her shopping trips"

   Synonyms:
   go along, keep on, asseverate, go on, keep up, keep, restrain, hold back, observe, save, wield, hold, hold on, prevent, defend, assert, retain, conserve, uphold, keep back, sustain, keep open, celebrate, hold open, preserve, proceed, continue, stay fresh, exert

7. keep, maintainverb

   maintain by writing regular records

   "keep a diary"; "maintain a record"; "keep notes"

   Synonyms:
   go along, keep on, asseverate, go on, keep up, keep, restrain, hold back, observe, save, wield, hold, hold on, prevent, defend, assert, retain, conserve, uphold, keep back, sustain, keep open, celebrate, hold open, preserve, proceed, continue, stay fresh, exert

8. maintain, defendverb

   state or assert

   "He maintained his innocence"

   Synonyms:
   fight, asseverate, keep up, keep, conserve, champion, support, guard, wield, hold, sustain, defend, assert, oppose, fight back, fend for, fight down, observe, uphold, preserve, exert, represent

9. uphold, maintainverb

   support against an opponent

   "The appellate court upheld the verdict"

   Synonyms:
   asseverate, carry on, keep, conserve, observe, wield, hold, sustain, defend, assert, bear on, keep up, exert, uphold, preserve, continue

10. observe, keep, maintainverb

    stick to correctly or closely

    "The pianist kept time with the metronome"; "keep count"; "I cannot keep track of all my employees"

    Synonyms:
    detect, retain, hold open, asseverate, conserve, hold back, keep an eye on, exert, hold on, find, continue, stay fresh, wield, assert, notice, abide by, honor, keep, defend, remark, go on, celebrate, watch over, take note, proceed, keep up, go along, watch, follow, uphold, save, observe, prevent, restrain, honour, mention, keep open, keep on, preserve, respect, keep back, sustain, hold, discover, note

Matched Categories

1. • Affirm
   • Confirm
   • Have
   • Hold
   • Insist
   • Record

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. maintainverb

   Synonyms:
   sustain, support, preserve, uphold, keep

2. maintainverb

   Synonyms:
   defend, vindicate, assert, justify

3. maintainverb

   Synonyms:
   continue, keep up, carry on

4. maintainverb

   Synonyms:
   provide food for, supply with means of living

5. maintainverb

   Synonyms:
   affirm, aver, allege, say, contend, hold the opinion, hazard the opinion

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. maintainverb

   Synonyms:
   support, sustain, affirm, assert, contend, claim, conduct

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "maintain":

   maintaining, keep, retain, preserve, sustain, maintenance, keeping, conserve, maintained, sustaining, uphold, continue, remain, preserving, hold, peace-, safeguard, retaining, maintains, preservation, stay, ensure, safeguarding, kept, continuation, retention, sustained

Suggested Resources

1. maintain

   Song lyrics by maintain -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by maintain on the Lyrics.com website.

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How to use maintain in a sentence?

1. John Cornyn:

   I think no matter who is elected president of the United States in November, it's important we maintain the Republican majority in the United States Senate. The Supreme Court vacancy, if nothing else, ought to cause people to reach that conclusion, so whatever people need to do in their individual races on order to maintain that majority, I wholeheartedly support.

2. Sam Greene:

   There seems to be something of an emerging understanding ... that the government will help the titans of the economy to maintain the liquidity they need to stay in business, in return for that, they remain quiet, they remain loyal, but they also maintain employment and they keep moving money through the economy.

3. Francis Bacon:

   If we do not maintain Justice, Justice will not maintain us.

4. Joshua Weiss:

   You cannot work 18-hour days, seven days a week, and expect to maintain your body and personal life, everybody thinks they will be different, and everybody finds out the hard way that this is not the case. Work hard—absolutely. But make sure to take the proper time to have a personal life and to maintain your health. If you cannot balance multiple things simultaneously, you’re not CEO material.

5. Martin Luther King, Jr.:

   We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us.