supporting 1 of 2

Definition of supportingnext
as in supportive
serving to give support to the truth or factualness of something scientists looking for direct supporting evidence of microscopic black holes, the existence of which is theoretical

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

supporting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of support
1
2
as in keeping
to pay the living expenses of a young widow supporting a sick mother as well as two small children on a teacher's salary

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
4
as in reinforcing
to provide evidence or information for (as a claim or idea) studies that support the claim that red wine drinkers have a reduced risk of coronary disease and cancer

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

5
6
7
8

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of supporting
Adjective
Some went after Cashman, some after Boone, some after Steinbrenner’s son Hal, and some after Aaron Judge’s non-supporting cast. Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025 Sure, that was exacerbated, and to some degree directly caused, by the ample non-supporting cast around him, especially on the offensive line. Vahe Gregorian, Kansas City Star, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
Snitker was emotional, thanking Ronnie for supporting him in this career for all these decades. Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 26 Apr. 2026 Investors bought tech stocks viewed as supporting the AI infrastructure buildout and dumping those seen as threatened by its adoption. Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 25 Apr. 2026 Hyundai’s entry into this space signals its intention to play a key role in supporting the next generation of digital growth. Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 25 Apr. 2026 Two separate independent committees are supporting Molina, but with far less money. David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026 Young voters in the poll, except for men aged 18 to 22, shifted toward supporting Democrats. Jay Stahl, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026 Nor should Iran earn gold stars for supporting its murderous network of allies that includes Hamas and Hezbollah. Tom Jurkowsky, Baltimore Sun, 25 Apr. 2026 In person, he was also known as a passionate supporter of the Chicago acting community and its constituent charity supporting artists’ welfare, Season of Concern. Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2026 All of the proceeds raised from the event went to supporting Altman's family. Victor Jacobo, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for supporting
Adjective
  • Demi Moore has been supportive of ex-husband Bruce Willis — even almost 30 years after their divorce.
    Sarah Sotoodeh, FOXNews.com, 26 Apr. 2026
  • April 19 guest commentary The recent commentary on the Colorado Connector rail service was supportive of moving ahead.
    DP Opinion, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The work Corban does today — speaking internationally, advocating for treating assault survivors with empathy instead of skepticism and working in development and marketing for a victims’ center — is sorely needed.
    Johnny Dodd, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Clooney has also become known for his humanitarian efforts, advocating for the First Amendment as well as the human-rights campaigns for the crises in Darfur in Sudan.
    Brent Lang, Variety, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The Eagles seem intent on keeping DeJean at nickel.
    Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
  • But for the moment, with Russia and the military alliance at odds over Ukraine but not at war, pilots on both sides just watched and filmed each other — keeping their distance like wary tomcats with claws unsheathed, their missiles visible but not used.
    ABC News, ABC News, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Over Your Dead Body knows that sustaining a harmonious union amid petty jealousies, paranoia, and personal flaws is hard; navigating a hostage situation involving desperate sickos and sociopaths is even harder; and maintaining a balance of laughs and gag-reflex tweaking is the hardest of it all.
    David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 Apr. 2026
  • The remark conveyed a familiar image of American military power, a projection of being technologically unmatched, logistically dominant and capable of sustaining operations indefinitely.
    James LaPorta, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Between systems, there will still be milder days, but they may be interrupted by additional reinforcing fronts.
    Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Nonprofits and civil society groups, for their part, can boost Bang for Buck’s expansion, reinforcing methodology consistency across the manufacturing ecosystem.
    Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 30 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Just as significantly, Anunoby spent much of Tuesday night defending Jalen Johnson, the resurgent Hawks’ only All-Star, who finished with a modest 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting.
    Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Then Quentin Davie, the new coach of defending champion Hebron Christian and a close friend, called with an opportunity to join his staff.
    Jack Leo, AJC.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Part of the new study also included verifying Curiosity’s results with extensive testing in labs on Earth.
    Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Zvi Reich called sources the cornerstones of journalistic activities such as detecting, researching, and verifying news.
    Florian Wintterlin, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Trump last week publicly triggered the idea of the government assisting the airline, which has been operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection since August of last year.
    David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 30 Apr. 2026
  • The Red Cross was also on the scene, assisting the 16 residents displaced.
    Elijah Westbrook, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Supporting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/supporting. Accessed 1 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on supporting

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster