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support

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verb

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as in to maintain
to pay the living expenses of a young widow supporting a sick mother as well as two small children on a teacher's salary

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in to sustain
to hold up or serve as a foundation for pillars supporting the bridge

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
as in to reinforce
to provide evidence or information for (as a claim or idea) studies that support the claim that red wine drinkers have a reduced risk of coronary disease and cancer

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word support different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of support are advocate, back, champion, and uphold. While all these words mean "to favor actively one that meets opposition," support is least explicit about the nature of the assistance given.

supports waterfront development

When could advocate be used to replace support?

While in some cases nearly identical to support, advocate stresses urging or pleading.

advocated prison reform

Where would back be a reasonable alternative to support?

In some situations, the words back and support are roughly equivalent. However, back suggests supporting by lending assistance to one failing or falling.

refusing to back the call for sanctions

When can champion be used instead of support?

The words champion and support are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, champion suggests publicly defending one unjustly attacked or too weak to advocate his or her own cause.

championed the rights of children

When is it sensible to use uphold instead of support?

While the synonyms uphold and support are close in meaning, uphold implies extended support given to something attacked.

upheld the legitimacy of the military action

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of support
Noun
The standard-size chair has a slim back that keeps it from being bulky and still provides ergonomic support. Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 27 Mar. 2025 The South Korean military report came after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expressed his unwavering support for Russia’s war in Ukraine during a meeting with a top Russian security official, Sergei Shoigu, last week in Pyongyang. Kim Tong-Hyung, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Verb
The initial role of the charity, which both princes created to honor their late mothers, was to support children and young people affected by HIV and AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana and elsewhere in southern Africa. Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2025 The council’s decision comes after a lengthy discussion centered around the city’s Cannabis Opportunity Reinvestment and Equity program, an initiative that attempts to support communities disproportionately facing barriers to starting cannabis businesses. Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 26 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for support
Recent Examples of Synonyms for support
Noun
  • By engaging employees in the process of creating their own learning plans and using them as a guideline for managing that person, managers establish a cycle of positive reinforcement that has tangible benefits.
    Bruce Tulgan, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Turing Award: The award, often called the Nobel Prize of computing, was given to Andrew Barto and Richard Sutton, the developers of a technique called reinforcement learning that is vital to chatbots.
    Eli Tan, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • After the crew exits the Dragon spacecraft, they will not be given additional medical and operational assistance to help researchers characterize the ability of astronauts to perform unassisted functional tasks after short and long durations in space.
    Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 4 Apr. 2025
  • The bulk of last month’s overall job gains came in the services sector, with health care and social assistance continuing to drive strong payroll growth (adding 77,800 jobs).
    Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Feeling angry can push you to advocate for your needs and make necessary changes in your life.1 However, long-term anger that is not dealt with can become an issue, affecting your mental health and quality of life.
    Wendy Wisner, Health, 30 Mar. 2025
  • Consistent engagement with local and national policymakers to advocate for transgender rights and protections.
    Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The Trump administration’s policies have led to actions such as the withdrawal of federal funding from institutions maintaining DEI programs.
    Jason Wingard, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
  • In addition to the discomfort felt in such areas, people with hip pain may also experience swelling, increased tenderness, bruising, difficulty walking, maintaining posture or even trouble sleeping.
    Daryl Austin, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • For more than 25 hours, the New Jersey Democrat stood at the Senate lectern speaking against President Donald Trump’s policies in what may be the most dramatic and sustained public challenge to Trump’s agenda since his return to the White House.
    Nik Popli, Time, 2 Apr. 2025
  • Phoebe Beltran sustained several cuts on her right arm and had to be hospitalized after she was attacked by the marine animal Sunday in Long Beach, about 24 miles south of Los Angeles, NBC Los Angeles and KTLA5 reported.
    Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The Dodgers are heavy favorites to defend their World Series crown, and a two-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs in the Tokyo Series last week only reinforced their front-runner status.
    Mark Ross, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025
  • In 2017, the La Jolla Development Permit Review Committee approved a project to reinforce the lower third of the bluff with erodible concrete.
    Ashley Mackin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Ukraine’s General Staff denied the allegations, saying in a statement Wednesday that Russia’s claims were part of a broader disinformation campaign aimed at justifying continued hostilities.
    Illia Novikov and Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2025
  • Investors have to balance whether an investment can be justified on the fundamentals of the asset or if distress itself is just one symptom of larger, more existential issues.
    Arman Harutyunyan, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • His Twitter account does not have a blue check that the social media platform gives to celebrities, public figures and journalists to verify their identities.
    Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2025
  • Authorities may also conduct safety inspections to verify adherence to legal requirements.
    Matt Rozo, Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Support.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/support. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.

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