shore up

Idioms  

1. Support, prop, as in The new law was designed to shore up banks in danger of failure. This expression derives from the noun shore, meaning “prop,” a beam or timber propped against a structure to provide support. The verb shore dates from 1340 and was first recorded in a figurative context in 1581.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shore up

If he had hoped for that to be sufficient to shore up his authority he was to be swiftly disabused.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

The Japanese automaker is aiming to improve its hybrid EV offerings to shore up its car business’s profitability.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

U.S. and Japanese authorities confirmed joint intervention to shore up the yen last week, which had caused the dollar to weaken.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

The conflict in the Middle East has given BP a cash boost that it is using to shore up its balance sheet.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

The Japanese government has been working to shore up tsunami defenses along the Tohoku coast.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland

Related Words

• add to
• bolster
• boost
• build up
• buttress
• emphasize
• enlarge
• fortify
• increase
• stress
• support
• underline