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
This has forced Russia to lean heavily on China specifically in order to prop up its wartime economy and most importantly, continue trading its most important commodity crude oil.
—
Earl Carr, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2025
The wooden floor has rotted through, and only a few flimsy stairs remain attached to telephone poles, which once propped up the tower.
—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 3 Sep. 2025
The country's economic growth was boosted by the manufacturing, construction and services sectors, but lower-than-expected inflation also propped up real GDP growth.
—Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2025
Until the mid-1980s the three major networks — ABC, NBC and CBS — were owned and operated by people who believed that news should be viewed as a public service and not an arm to prop up a global conglomerate.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prop up
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Earl Carr, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2025
The wooden floor has rotted through, and only a few flimsy stairs remain attached to telephone poles, which once propped up the tower.
—Sophie Hartley, IndyStar, 3 Sep. 2025
The country's economic growth was boosted by the manufacturing, construction and services sectors, but lower-than-expected inflation also propped up real GDP growth.
—Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2025
Until the mid-1980s the three major networks — ABC, NBC and CBS — were owned and operated by people who believed that news should be viewed as a public service and not an arm to prop up a global conglomerate.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 3 Sep. 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 10 Sep. 2025.
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