SUPPORT Synonyms: 318 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: When could 'advocate' be used to replace 'support'?

While in some cases nearly identical to support , advocate stresses urging or pleading. // advocated prison reform

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

support 1 of 2

noun

Definition of support

as in reinforcement

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 & Similar Words

Relevance

as in assistance

an act or instance of helping the team's victory owes a lot to Joe's strong support in left field

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

support

2 of 2

verb

sə-ˈpȯrt

as in to advocate

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 & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

as in to sustain

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

as in to justify

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 & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to verify

to give evidence or testimony to the truth or factualness of new evidence supports the original researchers' unexpected conclusions

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to assist

to provide (someone) with what is useful or necessary to achieve an end sent reinforcements to support the troops deployed overseas

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to tolerate

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 & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Analysts warned, after the April memorandum, that federal support would not necessarily translate into immediate price relief. — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 23 Oct. 2026 Kid Rock's support eventually extended beyond words of encouragement. — Ashley Hume , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Verb

Hinojosa previously supported some measures to attract data centers, but less aggressively than Abbott did. — Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026 For years, many Mizrahi voters have traditionally supported Netanyahu’s Likud party. — Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for support

Recent Examples of Synonyms for support

Noun

The method, called contraction-aware reinforcement learning, is designed for robots with different forms of movement, including wheeled, flying, and six-legged platforms.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 22 Oct. 2026
Combining a prebiotic with a probiotic creates what’s known as a synbiotic combination, giving the good bacteria in your gut both reinforcements and fuel.

— Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of reinforcement

Noun

Haaland, a citizen of Laguna Pueblo in west-central New Mexico, once relied on government assistance as a single mother.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
Dozens of people were convicted in connection with a sprawling, $250-million children’s food assistance scheme that predated this administration, though more charges have been announced in recent months.

— Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of assistance

Verb

Both opposed ending the Gaza war, both are advocating for Israeli settlements in Gaza, and both envision full annexation of and Jewish control over the West Bank.

— Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026
The groups actively advocated for a bill that pushing for greater transparency on the implementation of campus protest rules at California’s public universities.

— Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of advocate

Verb

Both protocols maintained performance comparable to the company’s conventional process while reducing formation time by approximately 60%.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra maintained a 24-point lead over Republican Steve Hilton in the governor’s race, up from a 22-point lead in September.

— Andrew Graham October 27, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of maintain

Verb

Jeff Stotts, an athletic trainer who runs a site that tracks sports injuries, wrote that since 2005, just one player had sustained a torn labrum like Wallace’s and returned later that season.

— Andrew Greif, NBC news, 29 Oct. 2026
Faster reloading could help vessels sustain their combat readiness during extended operations.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of sustain

Verb

The event reinforces our commitment to building a strong, collaborative supply chain that delivers economic growth, innovation and long-term maritime capability in both nations.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026
People’s Daily, the official newspaper of the Chinese communist party’s central committee, reinforced the criticism through its online commentary platform Renmin Ruiping.

— Matthew Tan, CNBC, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of reinforce

Verb

The men stopped short of signing the oath required for vouching, but Moriarty said that giving false names and starting the process was enough to justify the felony charges.

— Mark Vancleave, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
Cases like Duckett’s demonstrate why that uncertainty is justified.

— Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of justify

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

Definition of verify

Browse Nearby Words

supplying

support

supportable

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Style

“Support.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/support. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of support

noun

verb

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