Prop Up for Dummies

Prop up is a phrase that we use when we want to support or hold something up, just like how a pillow props up our head while we sleep, or how a fence prop ups the plants in a garden. It is a way to provide extra strength or stability to something that needs a little help. Imagine you have a bookshelf that is wobbly and might fall over, and you decide to put some books under one side of it to prop it up and keep it from falling. In this case, the books are propping up the shelf, giving it the support it needs so it doesn't fall down.

But prop up can also have another meaning. Sometimes, we use the phrase to describe the act of helping someone or something seem better, stronger, or more important than they really are. It's like when you tell a funny joke to lift someone's spirits, or when you give a friend some encouragement before a big game. In this case, you are propping up their confidence or happiness.

So overall, prop up means to provide support or hold something up physically, or to enhance or boost someone's confidence or well-being. Whether it's holding up a wobbly furniture or lifting up someone's spirits, prop up is all about lending a helping hand and making things or people better.