prop up

phrasal verb

propped up; propping up; props up

: to stop (something) from falling or slipping by placing something under or against it

We propped up the beams with long boards.

propped the plant stems up

: to give help, encouragement, or support to (someone)

His faith propped him up in times of crisis.

Examples of prop up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web There are dozens more Alpha launches in Firefly's order book, a backlog recently propped up by Lockheed Martin's purchase last month of up to 25 Alpha flights to loft small satellites. —

Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 2 July 2024 While the legislation failed 192-230, some argued the vote showed Republicans propping up the Confederacy's racist legacy. —

Sabine Martin, The Arizona Republic, 19 June 2024 They can be used to pay for imports or prop up the domestic currency when its value falls. —

Eswar Prasad, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2024 Thailand’s government has already intervened to prop up its almighty tourism industry in recent years. —

Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune Asia, 17 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for prop up

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prop up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.