shore up
phrasal verb
shored up; shoring up; shores up
1
: to support (something) or keep (something) from falling by placing something under or against it
They shored up the roof/wall.
2
: to support or help (something)
The tax cuts are supposed to shore up the economy.
Examples of shore up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The timing coincides with efforts by prosecutors in the Sept. 11 case to shore up their evidence after a damaging ruling in the other death penalty prosecution at Guantánamo, the Cole case.
—
Carol Rosenberg, New York Times, 17 Nov. 2023
Santa Fe resident and state Rep. Andrea Romero said the tax galvanized voters and will shore up spending for local affordable housing in perpetuity.
—Morgan Lee, Fortune, 9 Nov. 2023
From Pericles to Abraham Lincoln, words have often been as effective as armaments in shoring up a people’s defenses, reinforcing an army’s resolve, or inspiring a unit’s bravery.
—Gerard Baker, WSJ, 6 Nov. 2023
After the storms of 1998, the city shored up its defenses again; state and federal agencies gave Pacifica $1.5 million to pile riprap at the base of the cliff.
—Daniel A. Gross, The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2023
Kevin Kiermaier, 33, CF, 3.9, 35.5: In a market pocked with offense-first outfielders, the four-time Gold Glove winning Kiermaier (including in 2023) will appeal to teams wanting to shore up their defense.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2023
First Liberty’s goal is to use religious freedom, an increasingly powerful individual right, to shore up the power of individual sincere believers in order to undermine the public good.
—Charles McCrary, The New Republic, 3 Nov. 2023
Jordan will still run for the permanent position of House Speaker eventually and use the next few months to shore up support, Politico reports.
—Virginia Chamlee, Peoplemag, 19 Oct. 2023
Jordan could call a third vote In the short term, Jordan could call another vote to try to shore up his support.
—Stefan Becket, CBS News, 18 Oct. 2023
See More
Carol Rosenberg, New York Times, 17 Nov. 2023
Santa Fe resident and state Rep. Andrea Romero said the tax galvanized voters and will shore up spending for local affordable housing in perpetuity.
—Morgan Lee, Fortune, 9 Nov. 2023
From Pericles to Abraham Lincoln, words have often been as effective as armaments in shoring up a people’s defenses, reinforcing an army’s resolve, or inspiring a unit’s bravery.
—Gerard Baker, WSJ, 6 Nov. 2023
After the storms of 1998, the city shored up its defenses again; state and federal agencies gave Pacifica $1.5 million to pile riprap at the base of the cliff.
—Daniel A. Gross, The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2023
Kevin Kiermaier, 33, CF, 3.9, 35.5: In a market pocked with offense-first outfielders, the four-time Gold Glove winning Kiermaier (including in 2023) will appeal to teams wanting to shore up their defense.
—Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2023
First Liberty’s goal is to use religious freedom, an increasingly powerful individual right, to shore up the power of individual sincere believers in order to undermine the public good.
—Charles McCrary, The New Republic, 3 Nov. 2023
Jordan will still run for the permanent position of House Speaker eventually and use the next few months to shore up support, Politico reports.
—Virginia Chamlee, Peoplemag, 19 Oct. 2023
Jordan could call a third vote In the short term, Jordan could call another vote to try to shore up his support.
—Stefan Becket, CBS News, 18 Oct. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shore up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near shore up
Cite this Entry
“Shore up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shore%20up. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.
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