# prop up

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/prop-up
Updated: 2026-10-22

## Definition

to support something so it stays in place or does not fall. You can also use it when you help a failing business or system stay active.

For teachers: To support something physically by placing an object under or against it; figuratively, to provide support to a failing organization, system, or economy to prevent its collapse. Transitive.

## Examples

- Use a pillow to prop up your head while you read.
- The government had to prop up the national airline with a massive loan during the crisis.
- Despite the central bank's intervention to prop up the currency, investors remained skeptical about the long-term stability of the market.

## Pitfalls

- Not "The government tried to prop up it." but "The government tried to prop it up." — When the object is a pronoun, it must be placed between the verb and the particle.

## Usage notes

- The phrase applies to both physical objects and abstract systems like economies or businesses.
- Teaching tip: Contrast with 'support'; 'prop up' often implies that the thing being helped is weak and would fail without outside assistance.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.