supporting 1 of 2

as in supportive
serving to give support to the truth or factualness of something scientists looking for direct supporting evidence of microscopic black holes, the existence of which is theoretical

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

supporting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of support
1
2
as in keeping
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

3
4
as in reinforcing
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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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 supporting
Adjective
The incredible supporting cast is made up entirely of old-hand character actors, promising but underknown newcomers, and comedy- or comedy-adjacent figures with passionate niche followings and Gumby-esque limbs. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 17 June 2026 Some went after Cashman, some after Boone, some after Steinbrenner’s son Hal, and some after Aaron Judge’s non-supporting cast. — Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025 Sure, that was exacerbated, and to some degree directly caused, by the ample non-supporting cast around him, especially on the offensive line. — Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
Pink Pony is a flagship program of Ralph Lauren’s Timeless by Design 2030 citizenship and sustainability strategy, reflecting Ralph Lauren’s deep commitment to supporting the fight against cancer. — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026 Furthermore, the models revealed the reservoir could hold between 350 million and 480 million cubic meters of gas while supporting a daily throughput of 750,000 cubic meters. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2026 Then the cord dragged heavier lines that were capable of supporting large loads. — Peter Hessler, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026 Disparities and discrimination that come when only women take leave after birth can lessen when fathers and other supporting parents also take leave. — Megan Kuykendoll, The Conversation, 28 Sep. 2026 Proceeds from the auction will go to supporting the musician’s charity, the Joel Foundation. — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026 The foundation's stats show how the center is supporting the city as well. — Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026 Lamin has led a peaceful campaign supporting the right of Western Sahara to self-determination, a dream of Sahrawi refugees that has been frustrated for more than half a century. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026 Pattinson, meanwhile, might credit the win to Gen Z supporting their own. — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 28 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for supporting
Adjective
  • Singer said that the couple had always been supportive of her work.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Dos Santos has incurred LAFC fans' ire for his static tactics and substitution plans, and his club has been booed at home by its normally supportive base.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The program has also evolved to put a greater emphasis on mental wellbeing, with Harry advocating for mental fitness and communication skills to be incorporated into the curriculum.
    — Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Sony Music Group has joined the Alliance for Responsible Innovation in the Arts & Media (ARIAM), becoming the first music company to join the group advocating for the responsible adoption of AI throughout the creative industry.
    — Corbin Bolies, Variety, 23 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Russia has repeatedly hit Ukrainian trains, shopping malls, supermarkets and gas stations, among other sites, keeping civilians on edge.
    — HANNA ARHIROVA, Arkansas Online, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Rain chances should decrease Sunday, but showers could linger into early next week if a nor’easter remains off the Atlantic coast, keeping temperatures cooler.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 24 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Arneson’s son was left orphaned and is now being raised by his grandparents after sustaining minor injuries in the crash, according to the Loveland Reporter-Herald.
    — Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Expanding shipyard capacity without sustaining the suppliers is unlikely to deliver the fleet the nation needs.
    — George Whittier, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • There is also evidence of second-round effects from energy costs, reinforcing the risk that inflation is becoming entrenched, BofA said.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Experts have told me 2027 will be even worse than this year, and recent developments at sizable public-sector employers are reinforcing just how catastrophic things are becoming.
    — Bob Herman, STAT, 28 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Republicans can lose no more than three seats this cycle and are defending more than half a dozen in battleground states.
    — David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 30 Sep. 2026
  • An official of Congo's ruling party UDPS, Marie-Célestin Karondwa, was attacked by unknown suspects Sunday for defending the government's measures against Ebola on a radio program and was in critical condition, according to the UDPS.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Workers also assembled the parts in a trial run, verifying that every component matches the blueprints.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Around the same time, OpenAI researcher Boris Alexeev managed to formalize the proof, verifying its correctness step-by-step using the programming language Lean.
    — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 24 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Laboratory officials declined to provide details, citing privacy concerns, but said experts from India, China, the United States, Singapore and South Korea were assisting with the work.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Hawaiian Electric, the state's primary utility, said crews that had been assisting Kauai restore power after this month's Hurricane Lowell would return to Oahu, Maui and the Big Island in preparation for the coming storm.
    — MEGAN JANETSKY, Arkansas Online, 25 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Supporting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/supporting. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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