1. (

• support ,
• supporting

) the act of bearing the weight of or strengthening; "he leaned against the wall for support" ;

1. (

• support ,
• back_up

) give moral or psychological support, aid, or courage to; "She supported him during the illness"; "Her children always backed her up" ;

2. (

• support

) support materially or financially; "he does not support his natural children"; "The scholarship supported me when I was in college" ;

3. (

• back ,
• endorse ,
• indorse ,
• plump_for ,
• plunk_for ,
• support ,

) be behind; approve of; "He plumped for the Labor Party"; "I backed Kennedy in 1960" ;

4. (

• hold ,
• support ,
• sustain ,
• hold_up

) be the physical support of; carry the weight of; "The beam holds up the roof"; "He supported me with one hand while I balanced on the beam"; "What's holding that mirror?" ;

5. (

• confirm ,
• corroborate ,
• sustain ,
• substantiate ,
• support ,
• affirm

) establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts; "his story confirmed my doubts"; "The evidence supports the defendant" ;

6. (

• subscribe ,
• support

) adopt as a belief; "I subscribe to your view on abortion" ;

7. (

• corroborate ,
• underpin ,
• bear_out ,
• support

) support with evidence or authority or make more certain or confirm; "The stories and claims were born out by the evidence" ;

8. (

• defend ,
• support ,
• fend_for

) argue or speak in defense of; "She supported the motion to strike" ;

9. (

• support

) play a subordinate role to (another performer); "Olivier supported Gielgud beautifully in the second act" ;

10. (

• patronize ,
• patronise ,
• patronage ,
• support ,
• keep_going

) be a regular customer or client of; "We patronize this store"; "Our sponsor kept our art studio going for as long as he could" ;

11. (

• digest ,
• endure ,
• stick_out ,
• stomach ,
• bear ,
• stand ,
• tolerate ,
• support ,
• brook ,
• abide ,
• suffer ,
• put_up

) put up with something or somebody unpleasant; "I cannot bear his constant criticism"; "The new secretary had to endure a lot of unprofessional remarks"; "he learned to tolerate the heat"; "She stuck out two years in a miserable marriage" ;

1. (

• encouraging ,
• supporting

) furnishing support and encouragement; "the anxious child needs supporting and accepting treatment from the teacher" ;

2. (

• load-bearing ,
• supporting

) capable of bearing a structural load; "a supporting wall" ;