Phrase guide

prop up

verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌpɹɒp ˈʌp/
  • General-American: /ˌpɹɑp ˈʌp/
  • Australian: /ˌpɹɔp ˈap/
  • Australian: [ˌpɹɔ‿ˈpap]
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To support with, or as if with, a prop.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To be at the bottom of (a league).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

support by placing against something solid or rigid

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • shore and buttress an old building

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: prop, shore up, shore

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: hold, support, sustain, hold up

Narrower terms: bolster

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

18 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: dirəmək — to support with a prop
  • Azerbaijani: dayamaq — to support with a prop
  • Azerbaijani: söykəmək — to support with a prop
  • Crimean Tatar: tiremek — to support with a prop
  • French: accoter — to support with a prop
  • French: appuyer — to support with a prop
  • French: étayer — to support with a prop
  • Latin: fulciō — to support with a prop
  • Russian: подпира́ть (podpirátʹ) — to support with a prop
  • Russian: подпере́ть (podperétʹ) — to support with a prop
  • Spanish: apuntalar — to support with a prop
  • Spanish: apear — to support with a prop
  • Tày: cặm — to support with a prop
  • Turkish: dayamak — to support with a prop
  • Turkish: yaslamak — to support with a prop
  • Turkish: diremek — to support with a prop
  • Ottoman Turkish: طیامق (dayamak) — to support with a prop
  • Ottoman Turkish: قولتقلامق (koltuklamak) — to support with a prop