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

Two chairs were found propped up by the window, mirroring how they had been placed outside Elizabeth’s home — a detail only the perpetrator would have known, as police had not released that information to the public, according to the documentary. —Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026

In addition, the Fed faces the tricky task of trying to prop up the labor market by lowering interest rates without reigniting inflation. —Jacqueline Munis, Fortune, 16 Jan. 2026

On the contrary, the industry is propped up by massive taxpayer subsidies, often championed by Democrats with close industry ties. —Wolfgang Klietmann, Boston Herald, 16 Jan. 2026

Our Top Picks for the Best Over-the-Toilet Storage The storage options range from floating shelves to midcentury-modern ladder shelving that’s perfect for propping up a picture or lining up those IKEA baskets. —Kristi Kellogg, Architectural Digest, 15 Jan. 2026

Rhymes for prop up

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