support

1 a structure that holds up or serves as a foundation for something else if you don't add a couple more supports to that tower of blocks, it's going to fall down Synonyms of support brace, buttress, mount, mounting, prop, reinforcement, shore, spur, stay, underpinning Words Related to support shoring; column, pedestal, pilaster, pillar; arch, bolster, bracket, cantilever, girder; bearing; crutch, peg, post, stake, stanchion, stand, stilt, strut, truss; base, foundation, frame

2 an act or instance of helping the team's victory owes a lot to Joe's strong support in left field Synonyms of support abetment, aid, assist, assistance, backing, boost, hand, helping hand, leg up, lift, helpWords Related to support advancement, encouragement, facilitation, forwarding, furtherance, furthering, nurturance; benefaction, patronage, promotion, sponsorship; advice, care, counsel, guidance, mentoring; attendance, attention, hand-holding, service; beneficence, charity, favor, kindness, philanthropy; assuagement, palliation, relief, succorNear Antonyms of support constraint, frustration, inhibition, interference, obstruction, repression, restraint; deterrence, discouragementAntonyms of support hindrance

1 to promote the interests or cause of though childless themselves, they support the local schools both by volunteering and by fiercely opposing funding cuts Synonyms of support advocate, back, champion, endorse (also indorse), patronize, plump (for), plunk (for) or plonk (for) Words Related to support adopt, embrace, espouse; abet, aid, assist, help, prop (up), second, side (with); backstop, bolster, boost, buttress, reinforce (also reenforce); advance, forward, further; plug, preach, talk up; bail out, deliver, rescue, save Phrases go in for, go to bat for, hold a brief for, stand up for, stick up for Near Antonyms of support baffle, foil, frustrate, interfere, oppose, sabotage, thwart; desert, disappoint, fail, let down

2 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 of support keep, maintain, provide (for) Words Related to support finance, fund, patronize, set up, sponsor, stake, underwrite Phrases foot the bill (for), take care of

3 to hold up or serve as a foundation for pillars supporting the bridge Synonyms of support bear, bolster, brace, buttress, carry, prop (up), shore (up), stay, sustain, undergird, underpin, uphold Words Related to support steady, truss, underlie

4 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 of support back, bolster, buttress, corroborate, reinforce (also reenforce), shore (up), substantiate Words Related to support confirm, establish, prove, verify; affirm, avouch, validate Near Antonyms of support undercut, undermine, weaken

5 to continue to declare to be true or proper despite opposition or objections we support the students' right to speak out on local issues that affect them Synonyms of support defend, justify, maintain, upholdWords Related to support advocate, champion, espouse; confirm, vindicate, warrant; affirm, assert, aver, avouch, avow, claim, contend, insist, plead, proclaim, profess, protest, state; argue, debate, discuss; emphasize, stress, underline, underscoreNear Antonyms of support abandon, abjure, forsake, recant, retract, take back, withdraw; reverse, switch; controvert, disprove, rebut, refute

6 to give evidence or testimony to the truth or factualness of new evidence supports the original researchers' unexpected conclusions Synonyms of support argue, attest, authenticate, bear out, certify, corroborate, substantiate, confirm, validate, verify, vindicateWords Related to support avouch, back (up), testify (to), vouch (for), witness; guarantee, warrant; affirm, assert, aver, avow, declare, profess; demonstrate, document, establish, prove, reinforce (also reenforce)Near Antonyms of support contradict, gainsay; deny, disavow, disclaim; challenge, contest, dispute, questionAntonyms of support disprove, rebut, refute

7 to provide (someone) with what is useful or necessary to achieve an end sent reinforcements to support the troops deployed overseas Synonyms of support abet, aid, assist, back, backstop, prop (up), helpWords Related to support advance, ease, facilitate, forward, foster, further, launch; champion, endorse (also indorse), patronize, promote, sponsor; attend, care (for), comfort, minister (to), succor; sustain; bolster, boost, buttress, reinforce (also reenforce); advise, counsel, guide, mentor, nurture; bail out, deliver, rescue, save; embolden, encourage, hearten; benefit, favor, oblige, profit, serveNear Antonyms of support balk, bar, block, constrain, hamper, handicap, hold back, impede, inhibit, obstruct, restrain, strangle; baffle, foil, frustrate, inconvenience, interfere, oppose, sabotage, thwart; desert, disappoint, fail, let down; discourage, dishearten; repress, retard, stifle, straiten, stunt; damage, harm, hurt, injureAntonyms of support hinder

8 to put up with (something painful or difficult) he simply cannot support the thought of having to go on living without his beloved wife at his side Synonyms of support abide, absorb, accept, bide [chiefly dialect], brook, countenance, endure, go, hack, handle, meet, pocket, stand, stick out, stomach, bear, sustain, sweat out, take, tolerate, wear [British]Words Related to support allow, permit, suffer, swallow; reconcile (to); acquiesce, agree (with or to), assent (to), capitulate, consent (to), respect, submit (to), yield (to)Near Antonyms of support decline, dismiss, refuse, reject, repudiate, spurn, turn down; combat, contest, fight, oppose, resist; avoid, bypass, circumvent, dodge, elude, escape, evade, miss; abstain (from), forbear, refrain (from)