surviving 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of survivingnext
as in extant

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surviving

2 of 2

verb

present participle of survive
1
as in living
to come safely through the cat miraculously survived a two-story fall

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lasting
to continue to operate or to meet one's needs some old-world customs still survive in modern-day America

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of surviving
Verb
In the two years since Payne’s death, each surviving member has returned to making music. — Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 17 Oct. 2026 Many who hadn’t lost a house couldn’t imagine surviving a grueling six-year fight with an insurance company for money and the city for permits — let alone twice. — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026 Biddy’s multitudes are reflected in her sole surviving photographic portrait (as seen on the cover of this book). — Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026 Nearly three months after surviving its launch to space and a tumultuous trial at sea, the first Starship spacecraft to survive its ocean splashdown has returned to Starbase. — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2026 The predators were locally extinct in California and the West, surviving mostly in rural Minnesota with another 40 animals in Michigan. — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2026 His political nous has been shown by surviving intact through a number of storms. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 14 Oct. 2026 The Chicago archdiocese recognized Rubey's work this year by dedicating in his honor a memorial to the lives lost to suicide and their surviving families. — Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026 Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike has been discharged from the hospital and returned to prison after surviving a botched lethal injection that left her with serious medical complications, her attorneys announced. — Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for surviving
  1. extant
  2. living
  3. lasting
  4. existing
  5. weathering
  6. prevailing
  7. current
  8. enduring
Adjective
  • To be clear, none of these can be detected with our extant fleet of telescopes.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The majority of the 120 extant paintings by Velázquez are primarily held by museums across the world; around 50 of those works are owned by the Prado.
    — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of extant
Verb
  • That followed the violence during nationwide protests Saturday against rising living costs and poor conditions in schools.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty Images Police clash with protesters during a demonstration amid a nationwide mobilisation over rising living costs, fuel prices and education funding in Paris, France, on October 18, 2026.
    — Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of living
Verb
  • Later in the third, Baker led an 11-play, 66-yard drive lasting six-and-a-half minutes that ended with his 2-yard touchdown pass to Bockler.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Electrons move so quickly inside atoms and molecules that studying their behavior requires flashes of light lasting just a fraction of a billionth of a billionth of a second.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of lasting
Adjective
  • Any federal healthcare policy reform should always put the patient's needs first, and that includes protecting coverage for individuals with pre-existing conditions.
    — WCCO Staff, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Pavi is a younger hero than even 12-year-old Aang, perhaps an attempt to introduce Avatar to a new generation of kids where the movie was more of a service to pre-existing fans.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of existing
Verb
  • The airline is weathering much higher prices for aviation fuel, with quarterly costs topping $4 billion, a 69% increase year over year.
    — Mirtha Donastorg, AJC.com, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Condor said that Spire is not concerned about finding rides to orbit, and her confidence is indicative of Spire’s long history in the launch industry and past experience weathering a rapidly shifting market.
    — Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of weathering
Verb
  • The prevailing and most desirable silhouette in handbags is a slim east-west carried by a thin pencil line shoulder-length top handle.
    — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • In that span, the prevailing public narrative about Simmons shifted radically — from a guy zealously dedicated to rehabbing and the game itself to questions about his desire and dedication.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of prevailing
Adjective
  • The district also later reported that about 2,000 student assessment records had been posted, including those of 60 current students.
    — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The calves struggled against a current thick with floating clumps of river plants.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of current
Verb
  • The film offers an intimate portrait of a defining intellectual voice while examining the enduring question of who has the right to tell their own story.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Affordable electric bikes usually mean enduring heavy frames, clunky kick-in for the motor and unrefined, unpredictable power delivery.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of enduring

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survives
surviving
survivorship
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Cite this Entry

“Surviving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/surviving. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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