Maintain Very Common

Maintain has 11 different meanings across 1 category:

Verb

Definitions

Verb

cause to continue 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"

keep maintain hold

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"

conserve preserve maintain keep up

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"

sustain keep maintain

state categorically

"The lawyer maintained that his client was innocent despite the overwhelming evidence against him."

assert asseverate maintain

have and exercise

"wield power and authority"

wield exert maintain

maintain for use and service

"I keep a car in the countryside"

"She keeps an apartment in Paris for her shopping trips"

keep maintain

maintain by writing regular records

"keep a diary"

"maintain a record"

"keep notes"

keep maintain

state or assert

"He maintained his innocence"

maintain defend

support against an opponent

"The appellate court upheld the verdict"

uphold maintain

stick to correctly or closely

"The pianist kept time with the metronome"

"keep count"

"I cannot keep track of all my employees"

observe keep maintain

To support (someone), to back up or assist (someone) in an action.

"She decided to maintain her friend's campaign by organizing local events and distributing flyers."

In plain English: To keep something in its current condition or continue doing something without stopping.

"You need to maintain your car regularly to ensure it runs safely."

Usage: Use maintain to mean supporting someone's position or argument by continuing to assert it firmly rather than backing down. It applies when you are actively defending a claim or stance during a discussion or debate.

Example Sentences

"You need to maintain your car regularly to ensure it runs safely." verb

"He maintains his garden every weekend to keep it looking fresh." verb

"She always maintains her composure even during stressful situations." verb

"The company plans to maintain its current staff levels for the next year." verb

Origin

The word "maintain" comes from the Latin phrase meaning "to hold with the hand." It traveled into English via Old French and Middle English, evolving to describe the act of supporting or upholding something.

Rhyming Words

ain iain jain nain hain rain vain lain gain fain sain main kain wain zain dain tain bain pain cain

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