| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | insist, declare, maintain |
| Synonyms: | advance, affirm, allege, argue, asservate, attest, aver, avouch, avow, butt in, cite, claim, contend, defend, horn in, justify, mouth off, pop off, predicate, press, proclaim, profess, pronounce, protest, put forward, say, shoot off one's mouth, shoot one's wad, stand up for, state, stress, swear, uphold, vindicate, warrant |
| Antonyms: | deny, reject |
| Main Entry: | champion |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | advocate, support |
| Synonyms: | back, battle, contend, defend, espouse, fight for, go to bat for, patronize, plead for, promote, put in a good word for, ride shotgun for, side with, stand behind, stand up for, support, thump for, uphold |
| Antonyms: | be against, oppose |
| Main Entry: | contest |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | argue, challenge |
| Synonyms: | blast, call in question, debate, dispute, doubt, give it one's all, go for it, go for jugular, jockey for position, jump on, litigate, mix it up with, object to, oppose, push, question, scramble for, shoot for, stand up for, tangle |
| Antonyms: | agree, allow, give up, resign |
| 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: | endorse |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | support, authorize |
| Synonyms: | accredit, advocate, affirm, approve, attest, authenticate, back, back up*, bless, boost, certify, champion, commend, confirm, countenance, defend, favor, give a boost to, give green light, give one's word, give the go-ahead, give the nod, go along with, go to bat for, go with, guarantee, lend one's name to, okay, praise, push, ratify, recommend, rubber-stamp, sanction, second, stand behind, stand up for, stump for, subscribe to, sustain, underwrite, uphold, vouch for, warrant, witness |
| Antonyms: | censure, disapprove, oppose, protest, reject, repel, unauthorize |
| Main Entry: | go to bat for |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | show support for |
| Synonyms: | back up, cover for, defend, endorse, go to the wall for, recommend, stand behind, stand by, stand up for, stick up for, support |
| Main Entry: | guarantee |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | pledge, promise |
| Synonyms: | affirm, angel, answer for, assure, attest, aver, back, bankroll, be surety for, bind oneself, certify, confirm, cosign, endorse, ensure, evidence, evince, get behind, give bond, grubstake, guaranty, insure, juice*, maintain, make bail, make certain, make sure, mortgage, pick up the check, pick up the tab, protect, prove, reassure, secure, sign for, stake, stand behind, stand up for, support, swear, testify, vouch for, wager, warrant, witness |
| Notes: | guarantee is from Old French garant 'a warrant,' while warranty is from Old North French warantie, derived from warant 'a warrant.' Both garant and warant came from Frankish (the West Germanic language spoken in the 400s and 500s in the region of ancient Gaul that became France), represented by Old High German weren 'to confirm, warrant.' Guarantee is a general term for a representation regarding a good's quality and performance - and warranty is the legal term for the document; the person to whom it is issued is the warrantee with the issuer being the warrantor |
| Antonyms: | break |
| Main Entry: | justify |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | legitimize, substantiate |
| Synonyms: | absolve, acquit, advocate, alibi, answer for, apologize for, approve, argue for, assert, be answerable for, bear out, brief, claim, clear, condone, confirm, contend, cop a plea, countenance, crawl, defend, do justice to, establish, exculpate, excuse, exonerate, explain, favor, legalize, maintain, make allowances, make good, palliate, pardon, plead, rationalize, rebut, show cause, speak in favor, square, stand up for, support, sustain, uphold, validate, verify, vindicate, warrant |
| Main Entry: | reinforce |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | strengthen, augment |
| Synonyms: | add fuel to fire, add to, back up, beef up, bolster, boost, build up, buttress, carry, emphasize, energize, enlarge, fortify, harden, heat up, hype, increase, lend a hand, multiply, pick up, pillar, prop, prop up, punch up, shore up, soup up, stand up for, stiffen, stress, stroke, supplement, support, sustain, toughen, underline |
| Antonyms: | subtract, take away, undermine, weaken |