prop up

phrasal verb

propped up; propping up; props up

: 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

: 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 varied abilities and limited weapons prop up a mission design that’s simplistic. —

Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 27 Sep. 2024 Thanks to a 2-in-1 dual-axle screen hinge, this sizable laptop can turn into a tablet or prop up into tent or display modes. —

PCMAG, 27 Sep. 2024 Advertisement In stock markets overseas, indexes were more buoyant on hopes for more moves by China to prop up the world’s second-largest economy. —

Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2024 The Santa-of-it-all (which fair warning, dovetails into the Jesus-of-it-all) helps prop up The Killer Clown Who Can’t Be Killed as a legendary horror icon worthy of the box office success he’s enjoyed thus far. —

Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for prop up

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.