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
Morally, he is being propped up by Sarah Ferguson and his daughters.
—
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Maurice needed Maralyn to prop him up, and Maralyn needed someone to prop up.
—Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2025
But there’s a more pessimistic and likely accurate perception that these are the last gasps of a world nearly completely dead, with little reason to prop up its survivors.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2025
Supplies to prop up the ceilings of the tunnels were restricted, so staying alive required such on-the-fly innovations as creating support pillars out of waste rock.
—Charles Pellegrino, Rolling Stone, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prop up
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Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Maurice needed Maralyn to prop him up, and Maralyn needed someone to prop up.
—Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2025
But there’s a more pessimistic and likely accurate perception that these are the last gasps of a world nearly completely dead, with little reason to prop up its survivors.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2025
Supplies to prop up the ceilings of the tunnels were restricted, so staying alive required such on-the-fly innovations as creating support pillars out of waste rock.
—Charles Pellegrino, Rolling Stone, 6 Aug. 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 19 Aug. 2025.
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