shore up
phrasal 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
The funds would be used to shore up health care and food assistance in California.
—
Nicole Nixon, Sacbee.com, 30 Dec. 2025
Adams has spent his final months in office globetrotting and shoring up his legacy, touting his accomplishments during a stormy tenure as mayor darkened by corruption charges in late 2024.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 29 Dec. 2025
While $25 million is a fraction of the CPS budget, it could be used to shore up the district's finances.
—Todd Feurer, CBS News, 29 Dec. 2025
Millions of Americans, especially the richest, took advantage of the ultra-low interest rates during the pandemic, when the Fed loosened up monetary policy to shore up the economy.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 27 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shore up
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.
Nicole Nixon, Sacbee.com, 30 Dec. 2025
Adams has spent his final months in office globetrotting and shoring up his legacy, touting his accomplishments during a stormy tenure as mayor darkened by corruption charges in late 2024.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 29 Dec. 2025
While $25 million is a fraction of the CPS budget, it could be used to shore up the district's finances.
—Todd Feurer, CBS News, 29 Dec. 2025
Millions of Americans, especially the richest, took advantage of the ultra-low interest rates during the pandemic, when the Fed loosened up monetary policy to shore up the economy.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 27 Dec. 2025
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 2 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share