prop up
phrasal verb
propped up; propping up; props up
1
: to stop (something) from falling or slipping by placing something under or against it
We propped up the beams with long boards.
propped the plant stems up
2
: to give help, encouragement, or support to (someone)
His faith propped him up in times of crisis.
Examples of prop up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In that way the trade was reminiscent of Babe Ruth’s sale from the Red Sox to the Yankees in 1920, one Boston owner Harry Frazee made to prop up his failing theater interests.
—
Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
Down the hallway is a large conference room where the students first test their skills—flags and checkpoints are propped up on cardboard boxes taped together into platforms of different levels.
—Justin Ling, WIRED, 2 May 2024
Economists have been scratching their heads over how Americans can continue to prop up the economy with their spending despite high interest rates, persistent inflation, dwindling savings and rising debt.
—Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
Not long ago, Superdry was soaring through profit highs as consumers sought out the brand’s hoodies and puffer jackets, propping up its shares.
—Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 16 Apr. 2024
And the superiority of Nvidia’s software won’t hold forever, Luria said, because its customers are highly motivated to find ways to reduce their spending on the chips by developing their own AI products and propping up Nvidia’s competitors.
—Laura Bratton, Quartz, 11 Apr. 2024
Now, some of them are trying to prop up a parallel economy with their own payment platforms, social media, and even computers.
—Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 5 Apr. 2024
Bottom Line: Don't rely on adverbs to prop up weak verbs.
—Renae Gregoire, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
The result, for me, was worth the temporary aches and sleeping propped up — and yes, even the money.
—Patricia Tortolani, Allure, 3 Apr. 2024
Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
Down the hallway is a large conference room where the students first test their skills—flags and checkpoints are propped up on cardboard boxes taped together into platforms of different levels.
—Justin Ling, WIRED, 2 May 2024
Economists have been scratching their heads over how Americans can continue to prop up the economy with their spending despite high interest rates, persistent inflation, dwindling savings and rising debt.
—Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
Not long ago, Superdry was soaring through profit highs as consumers sought out the brand’s hoodies and puffer jackets, propping up its shares.
—Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 16 Apr. 2024
And the superiority of Nvidia’s software won’t hold forever, Luria said, because its customers are highly motivated to find ways to reduce their spending on the chips by developing their own AI products and propping up Nvidia’s competitors.
—Laura Bratton, Quartz, 11 Apr. 2024
Now, some of them are trying to prop up a parallel economy with their own payment platforms, social media, and even computers.
—Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 5 Apr. 2024
Bottom Line: Don't rely on adverbs to prop up weak verbs.
—Renae Gregoire, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
The result, for me, was worth the temporary aches and sleeping propped up — and yes, even the money.
—Patricia Tortolani, Allure, 3 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prop up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near prop up
Cite this Entry
“Prop up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prop%20up. Accessed 5 May. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share