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

But the Upper Basin states say their water users already take cuts every year because their supplies depend on the amount of water available and are not propped up by supplies in Lakes Powell and Mead. —Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 17 Feb. 2026

The cuts come as Missouri faces a major budget shortfall after years of being propped up by federal pandemic aid. —Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 16 Feb. 2026

The footage also shows large, commercial-grade pyrotechnics lined along the road, some propped up in traffic cones, in the moments before being lit. —Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026

Saudi Arabia’s interest in propping up the new administration in Damascus is not difficult to explain. —Alaa Shahine Salha, semafor.com, 16 Feb. 2026

Rhymes for prop up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup