maintain
To maintain something is to clean it, fix it, watch it, or keep it.
- A person who maintains his or her composure doesn’t get upset.
- To properly maintain your car, it’s necessary to change the oil regularly.
- Our car is maintained by a local mechanic.
- Brad and Zahra maintain a good relationship following their divorce.
- Our cat has been maintaining a careful watch over an area of the house where mice sometimes enter.
- The baseball team maintained a lead over the other team for most of the game, but then lost it at the end.
- President Obama maintains a good amount of respect from leaders around the world.
- Maintaining political stability around the world is an important part of the President’s job. (In this sentence “maintaining” is a gerund.)
The word “maintenance” is a noun:
- It’s important to keep up on the maintenance of a car if you want it to run properly.
- Darrel says his wife requires a lot of maintenance. (This is said of a person who needs a lot of attention and patience.)
- You can refer to the owner’s guide for the proper maintenance of a lawnmower.
- The maintenance man in our building knows how to fix anything. (The word “maintenance” is used as an adjective in this sentence to describe “man.”)