✨📕 The NEWThe NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Buy Now! Collegiate DictionaryBuy Now!

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Sitting two games behind the division lead, Buffalo will keep relying on Josh Allen’s dual‑threat play to shore up its playoff positioning. Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2025 Palomar hopes that receiving more of these patients will quickly help shore up its battered bottom line, which has forced it to rein in some services, including psychiatric care and labor and delivery. Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Dec. 2025 The quickest fix Cramer said would be to settle its lawsuit with The New York Times and reduce legal costs or persuade Microsoft to take an even larger stake and shore up the balance sheet. Luke Fountain, CNBC, 2 Dec. 2025 In response, national Republicans scrambled to shore up voter turnout. Vivian Jones, Nashville Tennessean, 2 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shore up

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shore up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shore%20up. Accessed 11 Dec. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!