shores up
Props up firmly
To shore up is to support or reinforce something that might otherwise collapse or fail.
The literal sense involves propping up a structure with timbers or braces: Workers shored up the foundation before the storm.
More often figurative—you shore up an argument with evidence, shore up a struggling economy with stimulus, or shore up confidence with reassurance.
The phrase implies something was weak or threatened and needed strengthening.
- fortifiesStrengthens against threat
- propsTheater accessories or praise
- props upSupports to prevent collapse
- holds upRemains intact or valid
- encouragesPromotes confidence in others
buttresses · underpins · backs up · consolidates · supports · strengthens · anchors · secures · reinforces · empowers · braces · stabilizes · holds together · undergirds · bolsters · gives a boost · safeguards · validates
shores upundermines
Weakens by stealth
destabilizes · weakens · erodes · tears down · topples
shores upundermines
Weakens by stealth
sabotages · subverts · destabilizes · erodes · damages