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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
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The Rust Belt, meanwhile, has remained relatively more affordable—propping up sales. Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Dec. 2025 In season 2, episode 3, Cami (Demi Moore) learns the truth about M-Tex Oil's finances, discovering that her late husband, Monty Miller (Jon Hamm), had been propping up both their extravagant lifestyle and much of the company’s operations through extensive lines of credit. Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 30 Nov. 2025 Most of the spending has been propped up by wealthier people, many of whom might be invested in the strong stock market or seeing the value of their homes rise. Alina Selyukh, NPR, 28 Nov. 2025 In IconArrows pointing outwards Glassdoor Overall, health care along with private education jobs have propped up the labor economy for some time. Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 26 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for prop up

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Cite this Entry

“Prop up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prop%20up. Accessed 10 Dec. 2025.

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