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
The answer is probably shooting and versatile defense in wing players who can prop up star creators/scorers in James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
—
Max Dible, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
Aimed to prop up a child to the height of a seat belt, a booster seat should allow the belt to properly fit across the upper thighs and to lie snugly across the shoulder and chest.
—Stuart Dyos, USA Today, 8 Dec. 2025
Assuming Netflix closes out its scheme to swallow up the Warner movie business, TNT Sports will remain an independent entity, but one without the luxury of being propped up by a vast media conglomerate.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 5 Dec. 2025
Add to that a government that is poised to unleash its largest stimulus package since the pandemic to curb cost of living and prop up the struggling Japanese economy, and the concerns around Japan's ballooning debt become even more stark.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prop up
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.
Max Dible, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
Aimed to prop up a child to the height of a seat belt, a booster seat should allow the belt to properly fit across the upper thighs and to lie snugly across the shoulder and chest.
—Stuart Dyos, USA Today, 8 Dec. 2025
Assuming Netflix closes out its scheme to swallow up the Warner movie business, TNT Sports will remain an independent entity, but one without the luxury of being propped up by a vast media conglomerate.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 5 Dec. 2025
Add to that a government that is poised to unleash its largest stimulus package since the pandemic to curb cost of living and prop up the struggling Japanese economy, and the concerns around Japan's ballooning debt become even more stark.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prop up
Cite this Entry
“Prop up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prop%20up. Accessed 14 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share