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Definition of supportnext
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as in to maintain
to pay the living expenses of a young widow supporting a sick mother as well as two small children on a teacher's salary

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in to sustain
to hold up or serve as a foundation for pillars supporting the bridge

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in to reinforce
to provide evidence or information for (as a claim or idea) studies that support the claim that red wine drinkers have a reduced risk of coronary disease and cancer

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word support different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of support are advocate, back, champion, and uphold. While all these words mean "to favor actively one that meets opposition," support is least explicit about the nature of the assistance given.

supports waterfront development

When could advocate be used to replace support?

While in some cases nearly identical to support, advocate stresses urging or pleading.

advocated prison reform

Where would back be a reasonable alternative to support?

In some situations, the words back and support are roughly equivalent. However, back suggests supporting by lending assistance to one failing or falling.

refusing to back the call for sanctions

When can champion be used instead of support?

The words champion and support are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, champion suggests publicly defending one unjustly attacked or too weak to advocate his or her own cause.

championed the rights of children

When is it sensible to use uphold instead of support?

While the synonyms uphold and support are close in meaning, uphold implies extended support given to something attacked.

upheld the legitimacy of the military action

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of support
Noun
Russia’s support for Tehran has been operationally meaningful but carefully bounded. — Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2026 Trucking, radiology, paralegals, customer support, translators, illustrators, junior developers, all going to disappear. — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
Another chorus of thoughts and prayers Members of the Bend community gathered downtown in Drake Park on Thursday evening for a prayer vigil to support each other and grieve. — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026 However, Samsung supports manual photo tagging on compatible devices. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for support
Recent Examples of Synonyms for support
Noun
  • But as that approach began to deliver diminishing returns, and freely available human data started to dry up, the labs have leaned much more on post-training and reinforcement learning.
    — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The researchers trained the machine using reinforcement learning, enabling it to navigate obstacles and perform dynamic movements.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • And those striving for zest under these circumstances may benefit from assistance from a mental health professional like a psychologist, a physical health provider like a physician, or a personal trainer or fitness instructor.
    — Joan M. Cook, Time, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The government plans to support participating companies through loan guarantees and assistance with administrative requirements.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Finally, Louise herself, who had since left the region and was now twice divorced, returned to advocate for the historical importance of her old home, which never did receive official landmark status, locally or otherwise.
    — Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Human rights lawyer Rosy Auguste Ducena, who advocates for the rights of victims of violence, says the Haitian public is fed up with the slow pace of change.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Sentenced to life in prison, Buchanan maintained a grip over gangs in the South Bay area of San Diego, according to an FBI report of an informant’s interview.
    — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • In April, a federal jury in Manhattan found that Live Nation and its Ticketmaster subsidiary illegally maintained monopoly power.
    — James LaForge, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • But when mandates or control measures are used as the main tool in a crisis response, a short-term impact can be difficult to sustain.
    — Raj Panjabi, STAT, 21 Oct. 2026
  • In addition to a person in his car dying from injuries sustained in the crash, another passenger was severely hurt, the release said.
    — Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Mental health experts have voiced concerns about chatbots’ sycophancy, lack of clinical nuance, and ability to reinforce delusional beliefs.
    — Andrew R. Chow, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Kim Yo Jong, widely viewed as the second most powerful official in Pyongyang, made the statement after visiting frontline areas where soldiers are reinforcing the border.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Between those grounds and the pool, there's enough here to justify leaving part of the day unscheduled.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026
  • In this case, the AI agent carried over an earlier instruction not to send any Slack messages to OpenAI’s team, using that to justify turning off the alerts.
    — Emma Roth, The Verge, 21 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Some sites require you to verify your identity or confirm that the record belongs to you.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Officers also must verify license plate information and confirm that an alert is accurate and relevant to an active investigation before taking enforcement action.
    — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Support.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/support. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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