étayer

Senses

1. 1.

   to prop up

   to support or hold up (physically) with a prop or stay

2. 2.

   to back up

   to support or reinforce (an argument, claim, etc.) with evidence or reasoning

Examples

• "Il a dû étayer le mur endommagé avec des poutres temporaires."

  He had to prop up the damaged wall with temporary beams.

• "L'avocate a étayé sa défense avec des documents et des témoignages."

  The lawyer backed up her defense with documents and testimonies.

• "Ses arguments ne sont pas suffisamment étayés par des preuves concrètes."

  His arguments are not sufficiently supported by concrete evidence.

Usage

A formal, somewhat literary verb with both literal (construction/architecture) and figurative (argumentative) uses. The figurative sense is the most common in contemporary French. Common in academic and legal writing.