Prop up Definition 1 of 2Pro Tip 1/3Financial Backing Used when a business or economy is supported with money to prevent failure. Small businesses are being propped up with grants during the recession. Pro Tip 2/3Temporary Measure Implies the support is not a permanent solution, but rather a temporary fix. The loan was just to prop up the company through the tough quarter. Pro Tip 3/3Political Context Commonly used in the context of governments or large institutions offering support. The foreign aid was used to prop up the allied nation's defense.