Everyone needs help sometimes, whether it’s with homework, during a tough day, or when trying something new. When we talk about helping or being there for others, we often use idioms. Idioms are special phrases that show feelings or ideas in creative ways.
Instead of saying “I will help you,” someone might say “I’ve got your back.” These expressions make talking about support more fun and easy to understand. In this article, you’ll learn 30 idioms that people use to talk about giving or getting support. These idioms can help you show care and kindness with your words.
Idioms for Support
1. Lend a hand
Meaning: To help someone.
Samples: Can you lend a hand with my project? / She lent a hand during cleanup.
To Put it Another Way: Give help.
2. Have your back
Meaning: To support and protect someone.
Samples: Don’t worry I’ve got your back. / He always has my back at recess.
To Put it Another Way: Be there for someone.
3. Shoulder to cry on
Meaning: Someone to talk to when you’re sad.
Samples: She gave me a shoulder to cry on. / He needed a shoulder to cry on after the loss.
To Put it Another Way: Someone who listens and cares.
4. Stand by someone
Meaning: Stay with someone and support them.
Samples: She stood by her friend during the hard time. / I’ll stand by you no matter what.
To Put it Another Way: Stay loyal and helpful.
5. Lift someone up
Meaning: To cheer someone or make them feel better.
Samples: Her kind words lifted me up. / He always lifts others up when they’re down.
To Put it Another Way: Make someone feel good.
6. Give a boost
Meaning: Help someone do better.
Samples: That extra tip gave me a boost on the test. / Her smile gave me a boost of confidence.
To Put it Another Way: Help someone improve or feel stronger.
7. Be in your corner
Meaning: To be ready to support you.
Samples: I’ll always be in your corner. / He’s in my corner for every game.
To Put it Another Way: Ready to help or cheer for someone.
8. Hold someone up
Meaning: Help someone stay strong.
Samples: She held me up when I felt like giving up. / We held each other up during the tough week.
To Put it Another Way: Give strength to someone.
9. Pick someone up
Meaning: Cheer someone up when they’re feeling low.
Samples: My friends picked me up after the bad grade. / A funny joke can really pick you up.
To Put it Another Way: Help someone feel better.
10. Be there for someone
Meaning: Stay close and helpful when needed.
Samples: I’ll be there for you if things get hard. / He was always there for me during school.
To Put it Another Way: Be dependable and caring.
11. Give someone a leg up
Meaning: Help someone get a better start.
Samples: That tip gave me a leg up on my project. / She gave her friend a leg up in class.
To Put it Another Way: Help someone get ahead.
12. Keep someone afloat
Meaning: Help someone not give up.
Samples: Her encouragement kept me afloat. / He kept his friend afloat during hard times.
To Put it Another Way: Help someone not sink under pressure.
13. A helping hand
Meaning: A small bit of help.
Samples: I gave a helping hand to clean up. / She offered a helping hand with homework.
To Put it Another Way: Lend some help.
14. In safe hands
Meaning: Being cared for or protected.
Samples: You’re in safe hands with the teacher. / I felt in safe hands with my friend.
To Put it Another Way: Feeling secure with someone.
15. Be someone’s rock
Meaning: Be strong and supportive for someone.
Samples: Mom is my rock when I’m sad. / He was a rock during the tough time.
To Put it Another Way: Always steady and there.
16. Have someone’s back
Meaning: Be ready to support them no matter what.
Samples: She always has my back in group work. / He said, “I’ve got your back.”
To Put it Another Way: Be loyal and supportive.
17. Carry someone through
Meaning: Help someone finish or survive a hard time.
Samples: My friend carried me through the project. / Her kindness carried him through the week.
To Put it Another Way: Help someone get through something.
18. Open arms
Meaning: A warm and welcoming feeling.
Samples: They welcomed her with open arms. / He was met with open arms by his team.
To Put it Another Way: Being kind and supportive.
19. Lean on someone
Meaning: Depend on someone for support.
Samples: You can lean on me anytime. / I leaned on my sister when I was sad.
To Put it Another Way: Rely on someone.
20. Step in
Meaning: Help when needed.
Samples: She stepped in to explain the answer. / I stepped in when he needed help.
To Put it Another Way: Jump in to support.
21. Watch someone’s back
Meaning: Keep someone safe and look out for them.
Samples: He watched my back during the game. / I’ll watch your back don’t worry.
To Put it Another Way: Look out for someone.
22. Take under your wing
Meaning: Help guide and care for someone.
Samples: The coach took me under her wing. / He took the new student under his wing.
To Put it Another Way: Help someone learn and grow.
23. Put in a good word
Meaning: Say something kind or helpful about someone.
Samples: I put in a good word for her with the teacher. / He put in a good word to help his friend.
To Put it Another Way: Say something nice to help.
24. Help out
Meaning: Do something helpful.
Samples: I helped out at the bake sale. / She helped out with the project.
To Put it Another Way: Lend support.
25. Jump in
Meaning: Start helping right away.
Samples: I jumped in to fix the decorations. / He jumped in when things got hard.
To Put it Another Way: Begin to help quickly.
26. Back someone up
Meaning: Support someone’s idea or action.
Samples: I backed her up during the debate. / He backed me up with the teacher.
To Put it Another Way: Agree and support.
27. Help someone stand tall
Meaning: Give someone strength and courage.
Samples: His words helped me stand tall. / She helped her friend stand tall after failing.
To Put it Another Way: Boost someone’s confidence.
28. Be a team player
Meaning: Work well with others and help them.
Samples: She’s a team player who shares and helps. / He’s always a team player during group work.
To Put it Another Way: Be helpful in a group.
29. Hold someone’s hand
Meaning: Stay close and supportive when someone is nervous.
Samples: I held her hand during the performance. / He held his friend’s hand through the scary movie.
To Put it Another Way: Stay with someone for comfort.
30. Stick by someone
Meaning: Stay loyal during hard times.
Samples: She stuck by her friend after the mistake. / He stuck by his team through everything.
To Put it Another Way: Stay close and caring.
Find the Topics: Idioms for Support
Activity: “Helping Hands at School”
It was the day of the school talent show. Liam was nervous about performing. “Don’t worry,” said Ava, “I’ll have your back.” Just before the show started, Mr. Rivera stepped in to help fix the microphone. Emma saw Liam shaking and offered a shoulder to cry on.
When it was Liam’s turn, his friends backed him up by clapping and smiling. After his song, Ava whispered, “We’re all in your corner.” At lunch, Liam said, “I couldn’t have done it without you all. You really lifted me up.”
His teacher added, “It’s great to see classmates lend a hand. That’s what being a team is all about.” Liam smiled, feeling proud and supported. “Thanks for being there for me,” he said.
Your Task:
Can you find and list all 8 idioms for support used in the story?
Answer Key
- Have your back
- Stepped in
- Shoulder to cry on
- Backed him up
- In your corner
- Lifted me up
- Lend a hand
- Being there for me
Conclusion
Support is something we all need, whether it’s cheering someone on, helping with a task, or just being there. Idioms like “have your back” or “lend a hand” make it easier to talk about helping others in a friendly and clear way.
By learning these idioms, you can show kindness with your words. Use them when helping a friend, working as a team, or just reminding someone they’re not alone. These small phrases carry big meaning.
