Thesaurus

support

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of 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

column, pedestal, pilaster, pillar

arch, bolster, bracket, cantilever, girder

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, help, helping hand, leg up, lift

Words Related to support

advancement, encouragement, facilitation, forwarding, furtherance, furthering, nurturance

benefaction, patronage, promotion, sponsorship

advice, care, counsel, guidance, mentoring

attendance, attention, hand-holding, service

assuagement, palliation, relief, succor

Near Antonyms of support

constraint, frustration, inhibition, interference, obstruction, repression, restraint

deterrence, discouragement

Antonyms of support

support

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of support

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)

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

Phrases Synonymous with support

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

They have three children to support.

Synonyms of support

keep, maintain, provide (for)

Words Related to support

finance, fund, patronize, set up, sponsor, stake, underwrite

Phrases Synonymous with support

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 eating dark chocolate lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease

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, uphold

Words 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, underscore

Phrases Synonymous with support

stand up for, stick up for

Near 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, confirm, corroborate, substantiate, validate, verify, vindicate

Words 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, question

Antonyms 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, help, prop (up)

Words Related to support

advance, ease, facilitate, forward, foster, further, launch

champion, endorse (also indorse), patronize, promote, sponsor

attend, care (for), comfort, minister (to), succor

bolster, boost, buttress, reinforce (also reenforce)

advise, counsel, guide, mentor, nurture

bail out, deliver, rescue, save

embolden, encourage, hearten

benefit, favor, oblige, profit, serve

Phrases Synonymous with support

bear a hand, to stand one in good stead

Near 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, injure

Antonyms of support

8 to put up with (something painful or difficult)

He simply cannot support the thought of having to go on alone.

Synonyms of support

abide, absorb, accept, bear, brook, countenance, endure, go, hack, handle, meet, pocket, stand, stick out, stomach, sustain, sweat out, take, tolerate

Words Related to support

allow, permit, suffer, swallow

acquiesce, agree (with or to), assent (to), capitulate, consent (to), respect, submit (to), yield (to)

Phrases Synonymous with support

live with, lump (it), stand for, tough out (it)

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)

Synonym Discussion of support

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

Learn More about support

See words that rhyme with support Dictionary: Definition of support Medical Dictionary: Definition of support Spanish Central: Translation of support Nglish: Translation of support for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of support for Arabic speakers

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