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 advocate, back, champion, endorse (also indorse), patronize, plump (for), plunk (for) or plonk (for) Related Words 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 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 keep, maintain, provide (for) Related Words 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 bear, bolster, brace, buttress, carry, prop (up), shore (up), stay, sustain, undergird, underpin, uphold Related Words 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 back, bolster, buttress, corroborate, reinforce (also reenforce), shore (up), substantiate Related Words confirm, establish, prove, verify; affirm, avouch, validate Near Antonyms 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 defend, justify, maintain, upholdRelated Words 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 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 argue, attest, authenticate, bear out, certify, corroborate, substantiate, confirm, validate, verify, vindicateRelated Words 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 contradict, gainsay; deny, disavow, disclaim; challenge, contest, dispute, questionAntonyms 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 abet, aid, assist, back, backstop, prop (up), helpRelated Words 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 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 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 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]Related Words allow, permit, suffer, swallow; reconcile (to); acquiesce, agree (with or to), assent (to), capitulate, consent (to), respect, submit (to), yield (to)Near Antonyms 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)