shore up

1 to hold up or serve as a foundation for a highway tunnel shored up by massive columns of concrete Synonyms bear, bolster, brace, buttress, carry, prop (up), support (up), stay, sustain, undergird, underpin, upholdRelated Words steady, truss, underlie

2 to provide evidence or information for (as a claim or idea) used an avalanche of statistics to shore up his claim that the state's economy is in fine shape Synonyms back, bolster, buttress, corroborate, reinforce (also reenforce), support (up), substantiateRelated Words confirm, establish, prove, verify; affirm, avouch, validateNear Antonyms undercut, undermine, weaken