shore up
verb
shored up; shoring up; shores up
1
: to support (something) or keep (something) from falling by placing something under or against it
They shored up the roof/wall.
2
: to support or help (something)
The tax cuts are supposed to shore up the economy.
Examples of shore up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Among them was a Washington, DC, think tank, which recently caused a stir with a report proposing to cap annual Social Security benefits at $100,000 to shore up the retirement trust fund.
—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
6 July 2026
The second season continues a very slow build as both sides navigate alliances and shore up their power, though the Battle of Rook’s Rest gives us our first real dragon battle.
—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2026
England manager Thomas Tuchel took Saka off and put on John Stones to shore up his side’s defensive posture.
—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
5 July 2026
Falling oil prices and the easing of a commodities crunch have pushed countries — wary of being left exposed by another global crisis akin to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz — to shore up their stockpiles.
—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
3 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for shore up
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
6 July 2026
The second season continues a very slow build as both sides navigate alliances and shore up their power, though the Battle of Rook’s Rest gives us our first real dragon battle.
—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2026
England manager Thomas Tuchel took Saka off and put on John Stones to shore up his side’s defensive posture.
—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
5 July 2026
Falling oil prices and the easing of a commodities crunch have pushed countries — wary of being left exposed by another global crisis akin to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz — to shore up their stockpiles.
—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
3 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for shore up
Cite this Entry
“Shore up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shore%20up. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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