bolster

1 to hold up or serve as a foundation for used additional beams to bolster the ceiling Synonyms bear, support, brace, buttress, carry, prop (up), shore (up), stay, sustain, undergird, underpin, upholdRelated Words steady, truss, underlie

2 to provide evidence or information for (as a claim or idea) a couple of tournament wins would bolster the extravagant claims that have been made on behalf of the young golfer Synonyms back, support, buttress, corroborate, reinforce (also reenforce), shore (up), substantiateRelated Words confirm, establish, prove, verify; affirm, avouch, validateNear Antonyms undercut, undermine, weaken