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support

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verb

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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

3
as in to sustain
to hold up or serve as a foundation for pillars supporting the bridge

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
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
The country is set to receive additional air defense support from its North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s allies as a result of the events. Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025 There was also qualifying Friday for the Grand Prix support class with two veterans of Unlimited racing leading the time trials. Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
Reinforcements with helmets and riot shields were deployed to support the 1,000-plus officers on duty. Brian Melley, Arkansas Online, 14 Sep. 2025 This hardware foundation supports advanced driver assistance and future autonomous functions, setting the G7 apart from other mid-size electric SUVs. Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 14 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for support
Recent Examples of Synonyms for support
Noun
  • Armed with those reinforcements, the Phillies have operated with a certain confidence.
    Matt Gelb, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
  • By combining hierarchical planning, reinforcement learning, and motion data drawn from human players, the project provides a blueprint for building robots that are efficient and intuitive in their movements.
    Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Polish and Dutch jets intercepted the drones, with assistance from Italian, German and NATO’s multinational forces, officials said.
    Tim Lister, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2025
  • In EVs, advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and real-time vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication depend on synchronized timekeeping for everything from sensor fusion to powertrain management.
    Markus Lutz, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Kirk emerged as one of the most pivotal figures in the conservative movement over recent years, co-founding the nonprofit Turning Point USA and becoming an ally to Trump after advocating to mobilize the youth vote for the GOP nominee.
    J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Set two years after the little robot lady went on a murderous rampage and was subsequently destroyed, M3GAN’s creator Gemma (Williams) has become a high-profile author and advocate for government oversight of AI.
    Denise Petski, Deadline, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • This means regularly assessing your thinking skills, consciously choosing when to engage versus delegate mental tasks, and maintaining practices that keep your mind sharp.
    Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
  • When asked about the changing landscape of college athletics, Calipari said more regulations need to be put in place, including tougher restrictions on transfers and years that players are able to maintain eligibility.
    Michael Harley, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Few characters, real or imaginary, have sustained this type of stage and screen presence for so many decades.
    Michael Taube, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Everyone’s voice matters, and everyone is expected to contribute—not just creatively, but in building and sustaining the project as a whole.
    Caterina De Biasio, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Instead of predictive policing that reinforces existing biases, envision AI that helps communities understand and address root causes of social problems.
    Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
  • That’s not the case with the Margaret Dabbs London Nail Strengthening Treatment, which reinforces flimsy fingernails after just one swipe of its brush.
    Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • That explains why the two-perspective structure couldn’t be justified in an episode like this and exposes the weakness of the conceit in the first place.
    Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025
  • The excitement may be justified, but so is the concern when regulatory structures fail to keep pace with demand.
    Lindsay O'Neill, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • However, a law enforcement source later told The New York Times that the findings, from a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms report, had not been verified by the agency’s analysts and could have been misinterpreted.
    Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
  • If verified, some researchers suggest this respite also could be a glimpse of future hurricane seasons, with the historic early-to-mid-September peak pushed back on the calendar.
    Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Support.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/support. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.

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