April 4, 2012, 12:04 am withstand •\with-ˈstand, with-\• verb 1. resist or confront with resistance 2. stand up or offer resistance to somebody or something The word withstand has appeared in 415 New York Times articles in the past year, including on March 5 in the Well blog post "Really? The Claim: Sleep Quality Worsens With Age" by Anahad O'Connor: Looking at reports of sleep problems across all ages, the researchers also found a slight increase in sleep disturbances during middle age. But over all, most people reported fewer sleep problems as they grew older, and 80-year-old people had fewer complaints than those who were 50. Another study last year showed that older people had a better ability to withstand the effects of sleep deprivation. And a large analysis of studies involving people of all ages found that most changes in sleep patterns occured between the ages of 20 and 60, and that healthy older people did not have more trouble falling asleep than younger counterparts. Learn more about the word "withstand" and see usage examples across a range of subjects on the Vocabulary dictionary.