maintain difficulties

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "maintain difficulties" is not commonly used in written English and may sound awkward.
It could be used in contexts where one is discussing the act of continuing to experience challenges or obstacles. Example: "Despite the support from the team, she continued to maintain difficulties in completing her tasks."

Appetite

Clinical Interventions in Aging

Huffington Post

Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

Encyclopedia Britannica

Wikipedia

BMC Public Health

BMC Infectious Diseases

BMC Women's Health

Plosone

The Guardian - Business

Working Memory and Education

Forbes

The Deal (Seinfeld)

HMAS Melbourne (R21)

BMC Psychiatry

ACS Synthetic Biology

The New Yorker

The New York Times - Sports

The New York Times

The Guardian

The New York Times - Books

Sports Medicine - Open

Science Magazine

Gait & Posture

Vice

Los Angeles Times

BMC Health Services Research

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Child feeding problems are often associated with parental factors which may influence and maintain difficulties.

Appetite

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

20 Although many patients regain functional swallowing spontaneously within the first month following stroke, 10 some patients maintain difficulty swallowing beyond 6 months.

Clinical interventions in aging

Women's experience of sleep loss is different, and requires sensitivity to feminine factors that may cause and maintain sleep difficulties.

Huffington Post

8 Included in the factors known to help to maintain sleep difficulties are dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes about sleep.

Clinical interventions in aging

These values, which are quite close, indicate that both sets maintain similar difficulty index relative to the student's ability in the classes.

Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning

Adaptive game software has the potential to maintain the difficulty of an educational task within the "zone of proximal development" [ 5], minimizing failure whilst maintaining adequate difficulty, thus providing a presumably ideal level of cognitive stimulation needed for progress.

Behavioral and Brain Functions

The most frequently mentioned effects were difficulty in maintaining emotional balance, difficulty eating and difficulty cleaning teeth [ 36].

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

That arrangement, which probably did not accord with Henry V's last wishes, was not maintained without difficulty.

Encyclopedia Britannica

In Roman times a sea channel was maintained with difficulty to a harbour well west of Pion.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The forçats du pavé seek to keep the course safe for riders while maintaining its difficulty.

Wikipedia

Dry air encountered the depression, and as such it developed very slowly; forecasters maintained considerable difficulty in determining a center of circulation.

Wikipedia

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "maintain difficulties", ensure the context clearly indicates that the subject is continuing to experience or uphold existing challenges rather than actively creating them.

Common error

Avoid using "maintain difficulties" when you mean to say someone is causing or exacerbating problems. Instead, use phrases like "create difficulties" or "aggravate challenges" to ensure clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "maintain difficulties" functions as a verb phrase where "maintain" acts as a transitive verb, taking "difficulties" as its object. It describes the act of continuing to experience or uphold certain problems. Ludwig's AI notes that the phrase, while not incorrect, is somewhat uncommon.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

35%

News & Media

25%

Encyclopedias

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Wiki

10%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "maintain difficulties" is grammatically acceptable but considered rare in common usage. Ludwig AI points out it may sound awkward to some. It suggests a state of continuing to experience or uphold challenges. While not incorrect, clearer alternatives like "sustain challenges" or "continue facing difficulties" are often preferred. The phrase finds occasional use in scientific, news, and encyclopedia contexts, but it's important to ensure clarity and avoid confusing it with causing or exacerbating problems. When precision is needed to convey sustained challenges, "maintain difficulties" can be suitable, but it's generally advisable to opt for more conventional phrasing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

prolong difficulties

Replaces "maintain" with "prolong", emphasizing the extension of the difficulties over time.

sustain challenges

Substitutes both "maintain" and "difficulties" with synonyms, offering a slightly more formal tone.

perpetuate problems

Replaces "maintain difficulties" with "perpetuate problems", focusing on the act of causing the issues to continue.

continue facing difficulties

Emphasizes the ongoing nature of encountering difficulties.

keep experiencing problems

A more straightforward and less formal alternative.

encounter ongoing challenges

Highlights the persistence of the challenges being faced.

endure hardships

Focuses on the act of bearing difficult circumstances.

uphold difficulties

A more formal alternative, suggesting active support, or at least allowing difficulties to continue.

retain difficulties

Highlights the act of keeping difficulties.

preserve hardships

Focuses on the act of keeping hardships.

FAQs

What does "maintain difficulties" mean?

The phrase "maintain difficulties" suggests that someone or something is continuing to experience problems or challenges over a period of time. It implies a state where difficulties are not being resolved, but instead, are being sustained.

Is "maintain difficulties" grammatically correct?

While grammatically sound, "maintain difficulties" isn't the most common phrase. Consider using alternatives like "sustain challenges" or "continue facing difficulties" for clarity.

How can I use "maintain difficulties" in a sentence?

Example: "Despite the team's efforts, the project continued to "maintain difficulties" in meeting deadlines." However, consider whether a clearer alternative like "experience ongoing problems" would be more effective.

What's a more common way to say "maintain difficulties"?

More common alternatives include "experience difficulties", "face challenges", or "encounter problems". These phrases are more widely used and readily understood.