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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
With his support, Dreitzer’s office has worked hand-in-hand on the lawsuits with Nevada’s Democratic attorney general, Aaron Ford. Marshall Cohen, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026 Unlike a professional bike race, the Sun Trip has no support vehicles and no safety net. New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026
Verb
This means eating grapefruit can boost your water intake and support overall hydration. Kirsten Nunez, Martha Stewart, 31 Aug. 2026 Getting enough magnesium — a mineral involved in hundreds of bodily processes — can help support several aspects of health and overall well-being during this stage of life. Jo Ann Liguori, Flow Space, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for support
Recent Examples of Synonyms for support
Noun
  • The approach uses adversarial inverse reinforcement learning (AIRL) to learn walking strategies from stick insects.
    Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Two police unions, the Sindicato Unificado de Policia and Confederacion Espanola de Policia, requested extensive reinforcements from the mainland.
    Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 28 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Among the things the neighborhood would stand to benefit from, De La Torre said, are financial and legal support for street vendors who keep the commerce district alive, drug treatment programs, and housing assistance.
    Marissa J. Lang, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The assistance, which helps pay for basic needs such as housing and food, would nearly double under a new policy.
    Ted Hesson, Washington Post, 28 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Environmental groups advocated for SB 954 over concerns that the CEQA exemption could allow heavily polluting facilities to bypass environmental review.
    Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Insisting on tax cuts and voting for politicians who will, of course, advocate them, has exacerbated the problem.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • For most of us, the results emphasize the role muscles play in maintaining our general health.
    Mike McRae September 02, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Laboratory testing confirms the blends meet regulatory standards, deliver superior anti-knock and anti-detonation performance, and maintain high oxidation stability, along with low sulfur and benzene levels.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • For over two decades, Blue Origin has been largely Bezos's personal space dream, sustained mainly by his private wealth.
    , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The second driver was hospitalized with injuries sustained in the collision.
    Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The look also pulls from indie sleaze, which Trendalytics reports is up 80% in social buzz, reinforcing the messy, early-2000s finish that defines the trend.
    Ashley Lynch, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Both formulas pair moisture-drawing glycerin with pea peptide and a trio of ceramides to condition and reinforce dry, stressed hair.
    Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 28 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Long-term resource potential Technical performance alone cannot justify a project; economic balance governs actual field deployment.
    Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The prosecution and defense both gave closing arguments Tuesday during the second preliminary hearing since July, which is a limited purpose proceeding held for a judge to determine whether the charges are justified.
    Andi Babineau, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Meta is also promising to do a better job of verifying users' ages and has agreed to report regularly to an independent auditor.
    Rhitu Chatterjee, NPR, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Similar efforts to make quantum hardware more resilient include quantum chips designed to verify their own hardware, showing how reliability is becoming a problem that researchers are tackling at several levels.
    Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Support.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/support. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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