shore up

strengthen or support something that is weak or might fail

C1

What does "shore sth up" mean?

To shore up something means to strengthen or stabilise it when it is weak, declining, or in danger of collapsing. The expression carries an important implication: whatever is being shored up was already fragile or at risk before the action took place. It is most at home in formal contexts — political reporting, financial analysis, and institutional commentary — where writers describe deliberate efforts to prevent something from failing. You might read about a government shoring up public confidence after a scandal, or a central bank shoring up a struggling currency. Because of its formal tone, native speakers would rarely use it in casual conversation, preferring everyday words like 'strengthen' or 'support' instead.

Examples

How to use it

shore up + object

The most common pattern, with the object — typically an abstract noun in a political, financial, or institutional domain — placed directly after the particle.

The new policy was designed to shore up public confidence in the electoral system.

shore + pronoun + up

When the object is a pronoun, it must appear between the verb and the particle, never after 'up'.

The coalition was losing support rapidly, and the prime minister struggled to shore it up.

shore + short noun phrase + up

Short noun phrases can also be placed between the verb and particle, though this separated form is less common than the unseparated version, especially in formal writing.

The board brought in a new chair to shore the company's finances up before the audit.

be shored up (by + agent)

The passive is very natural and frequently used in formal and journalistic contexts, especially when the focus is on the thing being strengthened rather than who is doing the strengthening.

The ailing bank was shored up by a last-minute injection of government funds.

attempt / effort / move to shore up + object

Shore up commonly appears in infinitive form after nouns like 'attempt', 'effort', or 'move', describing a deliberate strategic action.

The announcement was widely seen as a last-ditch effort to shore up the government's credibility.

Common Collocations

shore up supportshore up confidenceshore up the economyshore up financesshore up a coalitionshore up credibility

Common Mistakes

Confusing 'shore up' with 'prop up'

'Prop up' implies artificial, unsustainable support for something that might not deserve to survive — it often carries a critical or negative connotation. 'Shore up' is more neutral and suggests a deliberate, legitimate attempt to reinforce something at risk. Choosing the wrong one can change the tone of your sentence significantly.

✗ The government propped up the banking sector with a series of well-planned structural reforms.
✓ The government shored up the banking sector with a series of well-planned structural reforms.
Using 'shore up' for things that are already strong

A key part of the meaning is that the thing being shored up is already weak, declining, or at risk. Using it for something that is growing or already healthy produces an unnatural sentence.

✗ The company shored up its already record-breaking profits with a new product launch.
✓ The company shored up its struggling profit margins with a new product launch.
Placing a pronoun after the particle

When the object is a pronoun such as 'it' or 'them', it must come between 'shore' and 'up', not after the particle.

✗ Their credibility was fading, so they tried to shore up it with a public statement.
✓ Their credibility was fading, so they tried to shore it up with a public statement.

Usage

This phrasal verb is formal and most at home in written journalism, political analysis, and business reporting. It is rarely used in everyday spoken English — in conversation, speakers would more likely say 'strengthen' or 'support'.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'shore up' too formal for everyday writing, like emails or essays?

It depends on the context. 'Shore up' fits naturally in journalism, business reports, political essays, and academic writing. For a formal essay or a professional email discussing strategy or risk, it is entirely appropriate. For a casual email or informal writing, 'strengthen' or 'support' would feel more natural.

What kinds of things can you 'shore up'? Can it be used for concrete objects?

In modern English, 'shore up' is almost exclusively used in a metaphorical sense — the literal origin, from using wooden props to prevent a wall collapsing, is now largely archaic. Today it collocates with abstract nouns such as confidence, credibility, support, finances, alliances, and coalitions. Using it for physical structures would sound old-fashioned or odd to most readers.

Can 'shore up' be used in the present continuous — for example, 'they are shoring up'?

This form is grammatically possible but can sound slightly unnatural, particularly if you are describing a habitual or ongoing action. It works better in the simple past, present perfect, or infinitive form. If you need to describe a process happening right now, the present continuous is acceptable in journalistic contexts, but it is not the most typical choice.

Does 'shore up' always suggest that something was failing before?

Yes — this is one of the most important aspects of the meaning. 'Shore up' carries a strong implication that the subject was already weak, vulnerable, or in decline before the action was taken. If the thing you want to describe is simply growing stronger rather than recovering from weakness, a word like 'reinforce' or 'build up' would be more appropriate.

Can 'shore up' describe a person, or only organisations and abstract concepts?

It is most naturally used with institutions, systems, and abstract nouns. However, it can describe a person's position, standing, or credibility — for example, 'the interview helped shore up her reputation'. It would sound odd applied directly to a person themselves (e.g. 'he shored up the CEO'), unless referring to that person's role or status.

Related Phrasal Verbs

prop sth up

Ready to practise?

Practise 1,000+ English phrasal verbs with interactive gap-fill exercises.

Start Practising →