cheer on

Idioms  

1. Encourage, as in The crowd was cheering on all the marathon runners. Originating in the 1400s simply as cheer, this usage was augmented by on in the early 1800s.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cheer on

That response went viral and now the phrase “¿Y si sí?” is chanted by Mexicans as they cheer on their national soccer team — a squad that boasts four wins without conceding a goal.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 5, 2026

As a “heat dome” radiates across the US east coast, fans are turning up in record heat to cheer on their teams in the middle of the World Cup.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

And as investors had with GameStop, AMC Entertainment and other meme-stock favorites, Wendy’s new champions took to Reddit, the message forum app, to defend the fast-food chain and cheer on the rally.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

And if you’re looking to cheer on the home team, tune in at 3 tomorrow when the U.S. takes on Australia.

From Slate ● Jun. 18, 2026

He said in a lower voice, “And about half of them were right here in Stanleyville last week to cheer on their Tata Lumumba.”

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver