prop
verb (used with object)
to support, or prevent from falling, with or as if with a prop (often followed byup ).
had been propping
-
past perfect progressiveof prop.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"The Komeito vote had been propping up the LDP for years," Jeffrey Hall says.
From BBC ● Feb. 6, 2026
A cycle that had been propping up Tesla now seems as if it has broken forever.
From Slate ● Jul. 8, 2025
Mr. Trichet had been propping up Ireland's banks for months with emergency loans.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 28, 2010
He had been propping himself against a tree to appear unharmed, but now he moved so that his braves could see he was pinned to the trunk by an arrow and could not walk.
From Games by MacLean, Katherine
