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.

How to pronounce maintain?

How to say maintain in sign language?

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use maintain in a sentence?

1. Narushige Michishita:

   If South Korea realizes that Japan is resolved to maintain the firm stance, that will give them an incentive to buckle down and decide what they should do now.

2. Army Gen. Scott Miller:

   There are groups in Afghanistan who want nothing more than to harm others, these groups thrive in ungoverned spaces, they raise money, they recruit, they plan, they inspire attacks. We must maintain pressure on them.

3. Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi:

   Achieving our ambitious growth strategy will undoubtedly require focused efforts, commitment and dedication to maintain and strengthen Qatar's position as the leading natural gas producer.

4. Martin Chorzempa:

   It's about having that knowledge and process ... in the country and making sure that we have an understanding of all aspects of the process, the United States dominates the design of semiconductors; we also lead in the manufacturing of semiconductor production equipment that is used in East Asia. It might be the case that expanding it to the actual production could help to make sure that we maintain that kind of edge.

5. Tevi Troy:

   They need to maintain coverage levels so you won't have large numbers of people saying, 'I was covered under Obamacare and I'm not covered now,'.