| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | approve, support |
| Synonyms: | abet, accept, advocate, aid, applaud, approbate, back, bear with, champion, commend, condone, confirm, cope, encourage, endorse, favor, get behind, give green light, give stamp of approval, give the nod, go along with, go for, grin and bear it, handle, help, hold with, invite, live with, nod at, okay*, put John Hancock on, put up with, sanction, sign off on, sit still for, smile on, stand for, stomach something, swallow*, thumbs up, uphold |
| Antonyms: | deny, disagree, disapprove, discourage, fight, oppose, refuse |
| Main Entry: | defend |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | show support for |
| Synonyms: | advocate, aid, apologize for, argue, assert, back, back up, bear one out, befriend, champion, come to defense of, cover for, endorse, espouse, exculpate, exonerate, explain, go to bat for, guarantee, justify, maintain, plead, prove a case, put in a good word, rationalize, recommend, ride shotgun for, say in defense, second, speak up for, stand by, stand up for, stick up for, stonewall, support, sustain, thump for, uphold, vindicate, warrant |
| Antonyms: | deny, forsake, renounce |
| Main Entry: | do for |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | help |
| Synonyms: | abet, aid, assist, benefact, care for, help out, lend a hand, look after, provide for, steady, support |
| Antonyms: | deny, refuse |
| Main Entry: | ease |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | alleviate, help |
| Synonyms: | abate, aid, allay, ameliorate, anesthetize, appease, assist, assuage, attend to, calm, cheer, clear the way, comfort, cure, disburden, disengage, doctor, expedite, facilitate, forward, free, further, improve, lessen, let up on, lift, lighten, make easier, meliorate, mitigate, moderate, mollify, nurse, open the door, pacify, palliate, promote, quiet, relax, release, relent, relieve, run interference for, simplify, slacken, smooth, soften, soothe, speed, speed up, still, tranquilize, untighten |
| Antonyms: | annoy, increase, irritate, perplex, vex, worsen |
| Main Entry: | encourage |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | give support; help |
| Synonyms: | abet, advance, advocate, aid, approve, assist, back, back up, befriend, bolster, boost, brace, comfort, console, countenance, develop, ease, egg on, endorse, favor, fortify, forward, foster, further, get behind, give a leg up, go for, improve, instigate, invite, pat on the back, prevail, promote, pull for, push, reassure, reinforce, relieve, root for, sanction, second, serve, side with, smile upon, solace, spur, strengthen, subscribe to, subsidize, succor, support, sustain, uphold |
| Antonyms: | block, confuse, deter, discourage |
| Main Entry: | facilitate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | assist the progress of |
| Synonyms: | aid, ease, expedite, forward, further, grease the wheels, hand-carry, help, make easy, open doors, promote, run interference for, simplify, smooth, speed, speed up, walk through |
| Antonyms: | block, check, delay, detain, hinder, prohibit, stop |
| Main Entry: | favor |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | pamper, reward; help |
| Synonyms: | abet, accommodate, advance, aid, assist, be partial to, befriend, do a kindness, do right by, esteem, facilitate, further, gratify, humor, indulge, make exception, oblige, play favorites, promote, pull strings, show consideration, side with, smile upon, spare, spoil, treat well, value |
| Antonyms: | hinder, hurt, thwart |
| Main Entry: | further |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | advance, lend support |
| Synonyms: | aid, assist, back up, bail out, ballyhoo, champion, contribute, encourage, engender, expedite, facilitate, forward, foster, generate, give a boost to, go with, hasten, help, lend a hand, open doors, patronize, plug, promote, propagate, push, serve, speed, succor, take care of, work for |
| Notes: | farther is generally preferred over further when the context is distance in space or time; use farther when talking about physical distance and use further when talking about abstract ideas or extent/degree |
| Antonyms: | block, cease, check, curtail, delay, frustrate, halt, hinder, impede, obstruct, prevent, protest, stop |
| Main Entry: | mend |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | correct, improve, fix |
| Synonyms: | aid, ameliorate, amend, better, condition, convalesce, cure, darn, doctor, emend, fiddle with, gain, get better, get well, heal, knit, look up, overhaul, patch, perk up, ready, rebuild, recondition, reconstruct, recover, rectify, recuperate, redress, refit, reform, refurbish, rejuvenate, remedy, renew, renovate, repair, restore, retouch, revamp, revise, right, service, sew |
| Antonyms: | break, destroy, hurt, ruin, weaken |