shore up

Idioms and Phrases

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.

Related Words

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