support

verb

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sup·port | \ sə-ˈpȯrt

supported; supporting; supports

Definition of support

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to endure bravely or quietly : bear

2a(1) : to promote the interests or cause of

(2) : to uphold or defend as valid or right : advocate supports fair play

(3) : to argue or vote for supported the motion to lower taxes

b(1) : assist, help bombers supported the ground troops

(2) : to act with (a star actor)

(3) : to bid in bridge so as to show support for

c : to provide with substantiation : corroborate support an alibi

3a : to pay the costs of : maintain support a family

b : to provide a basis for the existence or subsistence of the island could probably support three— A. B. C. Whipple support a habit

4a : to hold up or serve as a foundation or prop for

b : to maintain (a price) at a desired level by purchases or loans also : to maintain the price of by purchases or loans

5 : to keep from fainting, yielding, or losing courage : comfort

6 : to keep (something) going

support

noun

Definition of support (Entry 2 of 2)

1a : the act or process of supporting : the condition of being supported

b : assistance provided by a company to users of its products customer support

2 : one that supports —often used attributively a support staff

3 : sufficient strength in a suit bid by one's partner in bridge to justify raising the suit

Other Words from support Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about support

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Other Words from support

Verb

supportability \ sə-ˌpȯr-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē

\ noun

supportable \ sə-ˈpȯr-tə-bəl

\ adjective

supportive \ sə-ˈpȯr-tiv

\ adjective

supportiveness \ sə-ˈpȯr-tiv-nəs

\ noun

Choose the Right Synonym for support

Verb

support, uphold, advocate, back, champion mean to favor actively one that meets opposition. support is least explicit about the nature of the assistance given. supports waterfront development uphold implies extended support given to something attacked. upheld the legitimacy of the military action advocate stresses urging or pleading. advocated prison reform back suggests supporting by lending assistance to one failing or falling. refusing to back the call for sanctions champion suggests publicly defending one unjustly attacked or too weak to advocate his or her own cause. championed the rights of children

Examples of support in a Sentence

Verb I completely support your decision to stay. She no longer supports the war. The senator says that he supports the proposed legislation. Which presidential candidate do you support? The study is supported by the American Medical Association. The country's citizens were asked to support the war effort. Her friends supported her by signing her petition. The charity supports needy families. Bombers were called in to support the ground troops. The planet's atmosphere cannot support human life. Noun The team gets a lot of support from its fans. I'd like to thank my parents for all of their love and support over the years. He depended on his wife for emotional support. He applied for financial support from the state. the company's friendly support staff Inspectors found that some of the bridge's supports were weak. She used my arm as a support and limped to the chair. These sneakers are designed to give your feet extra support.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The City Council did, however, support a request from Park Ridge Community Church, 100 Courtland Ave., to place a tent on church property at Prospect and Crescent Avenues in order for outdoor services to take place throughout warm weather months. — Jennifer Johnson, chicagotribune.com, "Park Ridge to allow expanded outdoor dining, closure of Main Street beginning May 1," 6 Apr. 2021 Warren Daniel and Norman Sanderson, who represent western and coastal areas of the state, respectively, also support the proposal. — NBC News, "N.C. bill would ban treatment for trans people under 21," 6 Apr. 2021 To top it off, the SE350 can also support an NVIDIA Tesla T4 GPU. — Patrick Moorhead, Forbes, "Finding The Gems In Lenovo’s Multiple Product Announcements," 6 Apr. 2021 On the Internet, ads support businesses like Google, which give people around the world free access to information. — Jerry Dischler, Fortune, "I’m in charge of ads at Google. Here’s how we can restore trust in the ad industry," 6 Apr. 2021 But do Facebook and other platform companies support meaningful oversight or simply a regulatory Potemkin Village? — Tom Wheeler, Time, "Facebook Says It Supports Internet Regulation. Here's an Ambitious Proposal That Might Actually Make a Difference," 5 Apr. 2021 At the United Nations, most member states reliably support China as an irreplaceable source of loans, infrastructure and affordable technology, including surveillance kit for nervous autocracies. — Star Tribune, "China is awaiting the downward spiral of the U.S.," 4 Apr. 2021 The National Institutes of Health should support further research for pills engineered to interrupt how the coronavirus replicates, which would be a hedge against mutations. — Scott Gottlieb And Mark Mcclellan, WSJ, "Covid Arsenal Needs Pills as Well as Shots," 4 Apr. 2021 With warmer temperatures hovering over the Western and Central U.S., these conditions support an elevated risk of fire weather on Sunday across the Plains and Montana with wind gusts of up to 35 mph and humidity levels as low as 12%. — Hope Osemwenkhae, ABC News, "Record warmth spreads across Southwest and Central US as new storm moves in," 4 Apr. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Pence’s strongest base of support is Christian conservatives. — Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY, "Former Vice President Mike Pence stepping up political involvement with new organization," 7 Apr. 2021 A few hours after the election results were announced, Taylor got a pledge of support from Cunningham. — Steve Sadin, chicagotribune.com, "Ann Taylor ponders addition of city manager as she prepares to become Waukegan’s first female mayor," 7 Apr. 2021 On the plus side, Beth received a significant sign of support from her own mother, Carol (Phylicia Rashad). — Dan Snierson, EW.com, "This Is Us writers break down double best-man drama — and what that 'ex' ending means," 7 Apr. 2021 This can provide up to 500 pounds of support to help anyone in need. — Chris Hachey, BGR, "Best Grab Bar," 7 Apr. 2021 Mentorship is a key avenue of support for new tech team members. — Expert Panel®, Forbes, "15 Tech Leaders Share Smart Strategies To Support New Team Members," 6 Apr. 2021 Harris’ boost was much more energetic and definitive than White House press secretary Jen Psaki’s initial tepid expression of support for Newsom in February. — Joe Garofoli, San Francisco Chronicle, "Kamala Harris promises White House support for Gavin Newsom in recall election," 5 Apr. 2021 Similar to those in Portland, officers in other cities say a lack of support from city leadership is making their job nearly impossible. — Joseph Simonson, Washington Examiner, "Portland police officers flee force in droves," 5 Apr. 2021 The groundswell of support suggests that the Black executives’ clarion call will have an impact in the months ahead, as Republican lawmakers in more than 40 states advance restrictive voting laws. — New York Times, "Inside Corporate America’s Frantic Response to the Georgia Voting Law," 5 Apr. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'support.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near support

supply-side

supply-side economics

Statistics for support

Last Updated

8 Apr 2021

Cite this Entry

“Support.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/support. Accessed 14 Apr. 2021.

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More Definitions for support

support

verb

English Language Learners Definition of support

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to agree with or approve of (someone or something)

: to show that you approve of (someone or something) by doing something

: to give help or assistance to (someone or something)

support

noun

English Language Learners Definition of support (Entry 2 of 2)

: the act of showing that you believe that someone or something is good or acceptable : approval of someone or something

: the act of helping someone by giving love, encouragement, etc.

: help that is given in the form of money or other valuable things

See the full definition for support in the English Language Learners Dictionary

support

verb

sup·port | \ sə-ˈpȯrt

supported; supporting

Kids Definition of support

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to hold up or in position : serve as a foundation or prop for Posts support the porch roof.

2 : to take sides with : favor Which candidate do you support?

3 : to provide evidence for : verify They cannot support this claim.

4 : to pay the costs of : maintain His income supports a large family.

5 : to keep going : sustain There is not enough air to support life.

6 : to provide help or encouragement to My friends supported me while I was sick.

support

noun

Kids Definition of support (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : the act of supporting : the condition of being supported

2 : someone or something that supports

support

transitive verb

sup·port | \ sə-ˈpō(ə)rt, -ˈpȯ(ə)rt

Medical Definition of support

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to hold up or serve as a foundation or prop for

2 : to maintain in condition, action, or existence support respiration support life

support

noun

Medical Definition of support (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : the act or process of supporting : the condition of being supported respiratory support

2 : supporter

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support

transitive verb

sup·port

Legal Definition of support

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : to promote the interests or cause of

b : to uphold or defend as valid or right

c : to argue or vote for

2 : to provide with substantiation or corroboration support an alibi

3 : to provide with the means of livelihood (as housing, food, or clothing) especially in accordance with an agreement or court order

4 : to hold up or in position : maintain the physical integrity of the right to have one's land supported by the underlying land

support

noun

Legal Definition of support (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : the act or process of supporting : the condition of being supported pledged the candidate their support

2 : a means of obtaining the necessities of life (as food, shelter, and clothing) : a source of livelihood especially in the form of alimony or child support

3 : something that provides support

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