Phrase guide

shore up

verb · 2 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: /ʃɔːˈɹ‿ʌp/
  • Canada, General-American: /ʃɔˈɹ‿ʌp/
  • Australian, New-Zealand: /ʃoːˈɹ‿ɐp/
  • Queensland Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

verb

Meaning 1

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively, often, transitive

Examples

  • They hastened outside between storms to shore up the damaged fence.
  • He needed something bold and dramatic to shore up his failing candidacy.
  • I shored up a geranium with earth after it had flopped over.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: embolster, prop up, underfoot, undergird, underpin, underprop, underset

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

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 up, prop, shore

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: hold, support, sustain, hold up

Narrower terms: bolster

History

Etymology

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.

Across languages

Translations

68 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: подпи́рам (podpíram) — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Bulgarian: подпра́ (podprá) — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Catalan: apuntalar — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Catalan: reforçar — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Catalan: sostenir — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Chinese Mandarin: 支撐 /支撑 (zhīchēng) — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Chinese Mandarin: 支持 (zhīchí) — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Dutch: versterken — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Dutch: verstevigen — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Finnish: pönkittää — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Finnish: tukea — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Finnish: vahvistaa — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • French: accorer — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • French: étançonner — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • French: renforcer — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Galician: reforzar — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Galician: apuntalar — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Galician: escorar — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • German: abstützen — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • German: stützen — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • German: unterstützen — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • German: verstärken — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Hungarian: alátámaszt — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Hungarian: megerősít — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Hungarian: megtámaszt — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Hungarian: támaszt — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Hungarian: kitámaszt — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Hungarian: kidúcol — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Hungarian: aládúcol — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Hungarian: dúcol — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Hungarian: megtámogat — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Italian: puntellare — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Italian: rincalzàre — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Italian: sostenere — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Māori: whakatete — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Neapolitan: ncarzà — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Polish: podpierać — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Polish: podeprzeć — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Polish: podtrzymywać — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Polish: podtrzymać — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Polish: wspierać — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Polish: wesprzeć — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Portuguese: sustentar — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Portuguese: reforçar — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Portuguese: escorar — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Russian: подде́рживать (poddérživatʹ) — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Russian: поддержа́ть (podderžátʹ) — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Russian: упрочня́ть (upročnjátʹ) — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Russian: упро́чить (upróčitʹ) — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Russian: укрепля́ть (ukrepljátʹ) — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Russian: укрепи́ть (ukrepítʹ) — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Russian: подкрепля́ть (podkrepljátʹ) — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Russian: подкрепи́ть (podkrepítʹ) — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Serbo-Croatian: поду̀прије̄ти — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Serbo-Croatian: подупрети — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Serbo-Croatian: подр̀жати — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Serbo-Croatian: podùprijēti — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Serbo-Croatian: podupreti — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Serbo-Croatian: podr̀žati — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Spanish: apuntalar — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Spanish: reforzar — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Spanish: ademar — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Spanish: entibar — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Swedish: stötta upp — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Thai: ค้ํา (kám) — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Turkish: desteklemek — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Turkish: payanda vurmak — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)
  • Ottoman Turkish: طیامق (dayamak) — to reinforce or strengthen (something at risk of failure)