survive a cold winter

Meaning

This phrase means to manage, endure, or get through a very cold winter season successfully. It can be used literally (referring to physical survival and staying warm) or figuratively (referring to keeping one's spirits up during dark, freezing months).

Examples

• You need a heavy down jacket and good boots to survive a cold winter here.

  You need a heavy down jacket and good boots to survive a cold winter here.

• Birds store up seeds and nuts during autumn to help them survive a cold winter.

  Birds store up seeds and nuts during autumn to help them survive a cold winter.

• I do not know how people in Chicago survive a cold winter every single year.

  I do not know how people in Chicago survive a cold winter every single year.

• Our heating system broke down, making it very difficult to survive a cold winter.

  Our heating system broke down, making it very difficult to survive a cold winter.

• To survive a cold winter, I usually drink lots of hot tea and stay indoors.

  To survive a cold winter, I usually drink lots of hot tea and stay indoors.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ We need to survive from a cold winter.

  ✓ We need to survive a cold winter.

  In this context, 'survive' is a transitive verb. You survive the event or condition directly, without using the preposition 'from'.

• ✗ They survived through a cold winter.

  ✓ They survived a cold winter.

  While 'survived through' is occasionally heard, 'survive [something]' is the more direct, natural, and common way to express enduring a difficult season.

Related Expressions

Practice

• Make sure you insulate your pipes so you can ___ without any plumbing issues.

  💡 Get through freezing winter months safely.

  Show answer

  survive a cold winter

• Without proper heating, it is almost impossible to ___ in the northern mountains.

  💡 Endure freezing temperatures during the coldest season.

  Show answer

  survive a cold winter