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

What’s propping up Russian oil? —Nate Hegyi, NPR, 26 Feb. 2026

Eight Maryland counties expecting larger disparity grants next year will instead see their funding frozen under a three-year state budget cap, while Baltimore City — already at its statutory limit — remains flat in a program designed to prop up jurisdictions with weaker tax bases. —Josh Davis, Baltimore Sun, 24 Feb. 2026

The five-term Democrat spent tens of thousands of dollars on media companies to prop up her campaign despite widely being considered a shoo-in. —Charlotte Observer, 23 Feb. 2026

Trump’s tax cuts will deliver a temporary lift; the World Cup will help ease a tourism downturn; inflation will continue to gradually cool; and massive AI capital expenditures will keep propping up GDP growth. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 22 Feb. 2026

Rhymes for prop up

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