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- pronunciation:
- meIn
teIn
- features:
- Word Combinations (verb), Word Explorer, Word Parts
| part of speech: |
transitive verb |
| inflections: |
maintains, maintaining, maintained |
| definition 1: |
to keep in existence; continue without making changes.
We maintained our high school friendship for many years.They maintained their agreement although neither side was happy with it.I couldn't maintain my interest in the novel, so I stopped reading it.- synonyms:
- continue, sustain
- antonyms:
- alter, change, discontinue, sever
- similar words:
- keep, observe, preserve, prolong, retain, uphold
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| definition 2: |
to keep in good condition.
It's expensive to maintain a boat.- synonyms:
- keep, take care of
- antonyms:
- neglect
- similar words:
- manage, preserve, retain, sustain, tend
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| definition 3: |
to pay the expenses for or of.
They have little money with which to maintain the household.- synonyms:
- provide for, support, sustain
- similar words:
- avouch, keep, patronize, take care of
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| definition 4: |
to declare; assert.
I maintain that your conclusions are false.The suspect still maintains his innocence despite evidence to the contrary.- synonyms:
- affirm, assert, aver, hold to, insist, uphold
- similar words:
- allege, argue, asseverate, attest, avouch, claim, contend, declare, defend, justify, plead, protest, say
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| related words: |
avow, believe, buttress, conserve, harbor, hold, mind, nourish, nurse, nurture, object, oversee, own, practice, propose, purport, renew, save, service, submit, think |
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| derivations: |
maintainable (adj.), maintainer (n.) |
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