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Definition of supportnext
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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

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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
Its work covers the center fuselage, radar and communications systems, low-observable technology and operational support. — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026 Rita Marie Oliveri, owner of Pat's King of Steaks, said the restaurant, which has been operating for nearly 97 years, has received an outpouring of support from customers and community members. — ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
That is an extraordinarily broad claim, and current evidence does not support it. — Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026 Ethiopian authorities have accused Eritrea of supporting the TPLF, an allegation Eritrea has denied. — Rodney Muhumuza, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for support
Recent Examples of Synonyms for support
Noun
  • Benchmarks like this would identify where agents break down in complex financial workflows, then turn those failure modes into reinforcement-learning environments.
    — Wen Shao, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Millions of German troops were tied down fighting on the Eastern Front and in Italy, but Hitler had a million more elsewhere in Europe to use as reinforcements, as well as the troops of Axis partners.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • For more information or assistance registering, including scheduling an appointment, call the office of Miami-Dade Commissioner Natalie Milian Orbis at 305-267-6377.
    — Angel Doval, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Head Start generally serves families at or below the federal poverty line, while childcare assistance programs in many states face waitlists and funding constraints.
    — Fernanda Tronco, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Rather than pursuing technological isolationism, Koerte advocates greater collaboration across borders.
    — Sam Forsdick, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Dodd also continued to advocate for independence for the Baltic States.
    — Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Leapmotor, meanwhile, maintained rapid growth, with deliveries topping 100,000 cars a month since July.
    — Matthew Tan,Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
  • An ongoing challenge is maintaining a consistent culture across all of Hilton’s properties.
    — Sam Forsdick, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Its extended takes were conceived from the outset to sustain the audience’s emotional involvement.
    — Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Asked whether companies could sustain strong profit growth in the third quarter, Dalio said investors should focus on free cash flow rather than earnings alone.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The experience reinforced her belief that Vancouver has plenty of animation talent, but still needs more infrastructure for independent creators.
    — Katherine Brodsky, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Its amino-acid complex helps smooth and strengthen strands from the inside out, while amaranth extract reinforces fragile hair and baobab extract helps improve elasticity and bounce.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 7 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • At Wednesday’s hearing, Paul described Niembro as the most culpable of the four defendants and Ramirez as second, while acknowledging that Ramirez’s cooperation justified a significantly shorter sentence.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Rising prices could also lead shoppers to reconsider which rewards still feel small enough to justify.
    — Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • And when the state can verify with high confidence that $37 belongs to someone, send the $37.
    — Mark Lewyn, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The opponents also contend — as do many independent election experts — that California already has robust measures for verifying the eligibility and identity of voters, and that voter fraud, including by noncitizens, is exceedingly rare.
    — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Support.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/support. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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