shore up

Meaning

To reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure).

Synonyms

prop up

support

reinforce

shore

sustain

back up

brace

prop

strengthen

undergird

underpin

plant

🌱

withstand

carry

buttress

bolster

underprop

strut

stud

bear

🐻

base

wedge in

chock

firm up

hold up

lean on

Translations

étayer

abstützen

stützen

apuntalar

puntellare

apoyar

sustentar

rincalzare

escorar

verstärken

étançonner

versterken

unterstützen

renforcer

affermir

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈʃɔːɹ‿ʌp/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: shoren

Cognate with Dutch: schoor

Cognate with Old Norse: skorða

Cognate with Norwegian: skor

In summary

From shore (“to provide with support”) + up. Shore is derived from Late Middle English shoren (“to prop, to support”) [and other forms], from shore (“a prop, a support”) [and other forms], + -en (suffix forming the infinitive form of verbs); while shore (noun) is from Middle Dutch schore, schare (“a prop, a stay”) (modern Dutch schoor), and Middle Low German schōre, schāre (“a prop, a stay; barrier; stockade”) (compare Old Norse skorða (“a prop, a stay”) (Norwegian skor, skorda)); further etymology unknown.