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 push to modernize the fighter fleet is part of Taiwan’s broader effort to shore up its defenses against China, which views the democratic island as its territory.
—
Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
Talladega College, Alabama’s first private historically Black college, has sold four of six murals painted for the institution by renowned Black painter Hale Woodruff in order to shore up its $5 million endowment and make payroll, the New York Times reports.
—News Desk, Artforum, 29 Oct. 2025
The race to shore up California’s Democratic-majority congressional delegation by unseating five Republican representatives has drawn national attention and become one of the most expensive contests in history.
—Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 29 Oct. 2025
The Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point Wednesday, as policymakers work to shore up the softening job market.
—Scott Horsley, NPR, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shore up
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Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
Talladega College, Alabama’s first private historically Black college, has sold four of six murals painted for the institution by renowned Black painter Hale Woodruff in order to shore up its $5 million endowment and make payroll, the New York Times reports.
—News Desk, Artforum, 29 Oct. 2025
The race to shore up California’s Democratic-majority congressional delegation by unseating five Republican representatives has drawn national attention and become one of the most expensive contests in history.
—Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 29 Oct. 2025
The Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point Wednesday, as policymakers work to shore up the softening job market.
—Scott Horsley, NPR, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shore up
Cite this Entry
“Shore up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shore%20up. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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