maintain and improve

USAGE SUMMARY

"maintain and improve" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is typically used as an imperative, as in "We must maintain and improve our customer service standards" or as a general sentiment, as in "We strive to maintain and improve the quality of our products."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

As the agency's director of design and capital improvement, he spends about $500 million a year to maintain and improve the city's public housing stock.

The New York Times

Using apps to maintain and improve our health makes sense.

The Guardian

All major Dutch cities have designated "bicycle civil servants", tasked to maintain and improve the network.

The Guardian

The association's purpose is to maintain and improve Westchester's business climate.

The New York Times

These regular checks will maintain and improve that reputation, at home and abroad.

The Guardian - Opinion

One is to maintain and improve its domestic society, offering economic prosperity and social justice.

The Washington Post

It also works to maintain and improve local governments and civil society.

Britannica

One form of training, however, has been shown to maintain and improve brain health — physical exercise.

The New York Times

This lab would maintain and improve the military's arsenal rather than create new weapons.

The New York Times - Books

These and other techniques help maintain and improve soil fertility and enhance crop yields.

The New York Times

Instead, we must look for ways to continuously maintain and improve it.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "maintain and improve", ensure that the context clearly defines what is being maintained and improved. This adds precision and clarity to your communication.

Common error

Avoid using "maintain and improve" when only minor adjustments are being made. Reserve the phrase for situations involving genuine enhancements, not just routine upkeep.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "maintain and improve" functions as a compound verb phrase. Ludwig examples show it's often used to describe ongoing efforts to sustain current standards while simultaneously enhancing them. It describes a dual action, combining preservation with progress.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

37%

Science

28%

Wiki

12%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Encyclopedias

2%

Academia

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "maintain and improve" is a very common and grammatically correct expression used to convey the dual action of preserving current standards while simultaneously enhancing them. Ludwig AI confirms this phrase is suitable for many contexts, evident from its widespread use across news, scientific, and business domains. While variations like "sustain and enhance" or "preserve and develop" offer nuanced meanings, "maintain and improve" provides a balanced approach to continuous quality and proactive development. When utilizing this phrase, it's important to clearly define what is being maintained and improved to ensure clarity in communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

sustain and enhance

Focuses on the act of sustaining the current state alongside making enhancements, differing slightly in emphasis from "maintain and improve".

preserve and develop

Highlights the preservation aspect, and replaces improvement with development.

uphold and advance

Uses more formal synonyms for maintain and improve, altering the tone.

conserve and upgrade

Emphasizes conservation of resources with an upgrade component.

retain and refine

Stresses retention and then refining the retained aspects, offering a subtle shift in focus.

keep and perfect

Keep is a simpler term than maintain, while perfect suggests aiming for flawlessness.

protect and boost

Focuses on the protection of existing elements, alongside a boost to enhance them.

support and expand

Highlights support and expansion instead of maintenance and improvement.

service and overhaul

Uses more technical terms to suggest improving condition, such as an overhaul.

bolster and optimize

Bolster emphasizes strengthening, while optimize focuses on making something the most effective.

FAQs

How to use "maintain and improve" in a sentence?

You can use "maintain and improve" to describe efforts to sustain and enhance something, such as "We need to "maintain and improve" our product quality".

What can I say instead of "maintain and improve"?

Alternatives include "sustain and enhance", "preserve and develop", or "uphold and advance", depending on the context.

Which is correct, "maintain and improve" or "maintain or improve"?

"Maintain and improve" indicates a combined effort to both sustain and enhance, while "maintain or improve" suggests choosing one action over the other. The correct choice depends on your intended meaning.

What's the difference between "maintain and improve" and "update and improve"?

"Maintain and improve" suggests keeping something in good condition while making it better, whereas "update and improve" implies bringing something current before enhancing it. The emphasis is slightly different.