another word for supported in an essay

Related Words and Phrases

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adjective as in backed personally

Strongest matches

backed , financed

Strong matches

promoted , sustained

adjective as in supported physically

bolstered , braced , firm , floated

Weak matches

held up , lifted up

Discover More

Related words.

Words related to supported are not direct synonyms, but are associated with the word supported . Browse related words to learn more about word associations.

adjective as in certified

• made official
• vouched for

adjective as in recognized as true, valid

• authenticated
• circumstantiated
• straight from horse's mouth
• trustworthy

adjective as in heartened

• enthusiastic

adjective as in signed

• OK'd boosted
• recommended
• underwritten

adjective as in defended

• safeguarded
• strengthened

Viewing 5 / 13 related words

Example Sentences

Who among Scalise's constituents could possibly care if he supported naming a post office for a black judge who died in 1988?

When it came to Android, however, it was ad-supported but free.

But an ad-supported version of Desert Golfing was impossible.

Supported by Washington, the domestic quota was cut from 90 days to 30.

That November, many of us were stunned as voters in four states supported marriage equality at the ballot box.

After all, the divine portion, the head, can be supported very well without their help.

Her left knee was supported on pillows, and the bed-clothes were raised away from it, for it could tolerate no weight whatever.

The body was resting upon a plank supported by four stakes and covered with skins.

This cross between a wheelbarrow and a sedan-chair was supported and trundled along the street by four bearers.

He supported me consistently, permitting no one but himself to interfere with anything I thought it right to do.

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On this page you'll find 23 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to supported, such as: backed, financed, promoted, and sustained.

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.

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• 40 Useful Words and Phrases for Top-Notch Essays

To be truly brilliant, an essay needs to utilise the right language. You could make a great point, but if it’s not intelligently articulated, you almost needn’t have bothered.

Developing the language skills to build an argument and to write persuasively is crucial if you’re to write outstanding essays every time. In this article, we’re going to equip you with the words and phrases you need to write a top-notch essay, along with examples of how to utilise them.

It’s by no means an exhaustive list, and there will often be other ways of using the words and phrases we describe that we won’t have room to include, but there should be more than enough below to help you make an instant improvement to your essay-writing skills.

If you’re interested in developing your language and persuasive skills, Oxford Royale offers summer courses at its Oxford Summer School , Cambridge Summer School , London Summer School , San Francisco Summer School and Yale Summer School . You can study courses to learn english , prepare for careers in law , medicine , business , engineering and leadership.

General explaining

Let’s start by looking at language for general explanations of complex points.

1. In order to

Usage: “In order to” can be used to introduce an explanation for the purpose of an argument. Example: “In order to understand X, we need first to understand Y.”

2. In other words

Usage: Use “in other words” when you want to express something in a different way (more simply), to make it easier to understand, or to emphasise or expand on a point. Example: “Frogs are amphibians. In other words, they live on the land and in the water.”

3. To put it another way

Usage: This phrase is another way of saying “in other words”, and can be used in particularly complex points, when you feel that an alternative way of wording a problem may help the reader achieve a better understanding of its significance. Example: “Plants rely on photosynthesis. To put it another way, they will die without the sun.”

4. That is to say

Usage: “That is” and “that is to say” can be used to add further detail to your explanation, or to be more precise. Example: “Whales are mammals. That is to say, they must breathe air.”

5. To that end

Usage: Use “to that end” or “to this end” in a similar way to “in order to” or “so”. Example: “Zoologists have long sought to understand how animals communicate with each other. To that end, a new study has been launched that looks at elephant sounds and their possible meanings.”

Adding additional information to support a point

Students often make the mistake of using synonyms of “and” each time they want to add further information in support of a point they’re making, or to build an argument . Here are some cleverer ways of doing this.

6. Moreover

Usage: Employ “moreover” at the start of a sentence to add extra information in support of a point you’re making. Example: “Moreover, the results of a recent piece of research provide compelling evidence in support of…”

7. Furthermore

Usage:This is also generally used at the start of a sentence, to add extra information. Example: “Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that…”

8. What’s more

Usage: This is used in the same way as “moreover” and “furthermore”. Example: “What’s more, this isn’t the only evidence that supports this hypothesis.”

9. Likewise

Usage: Use “likewise” when you want to talk about something that agrees with what you’ve just mentioned. Example: “Scholar A believes X. Likewise, Scholar B argues compellingly in favour of this point of view.”

10. Similarly

Usage: Use “similarly” in the same way as “likewise”. Example: “Audiences at the time reacted with shock to Beethoven’s new work, because it was very different to what they were used to. Similarly, we have a tendency to react with surprise to the unfamiliar.”

11. Another key thing to remember

Usage: Use the phrase “another key point to remember” or “another key fact to remember” to introduce additional facts without using the word “also”. Example: “As a Romantic, Blake was a proponent of a closer relationship between humans and nature. Another key point to remember is that Blake was writing during the Industrial Revolution, which had a major impact on the world around him.”

12. As well as

Usage: Use “as well as” instead of “also” or “and”. Example: “Scholar A argued that this was due to X, as well as Y.”

13. Not only… but also

Usage: This wording is used to add an extra piece of information, often something that’s in some way more surprising or unexpected than the first piece of information. Example: “Not only did Edmund Hillary have the honour of being the first to reach the summit of Everest, but he was also appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.”

14. Coupled with

Usage: Used when considering two or more arguments at a time. Example: “Coupled with the literary evidence, the statistics paint a compelling view of…”

15. Firstly, secondly, thirdly…

Usage: This can be used to structure an argument, presenting facts clearly one after the other. Example: “There are many points in support of this view. Firstly, X. Secondly, Y. And thirdly, Z.

16. Not to mention/to say nothing of

Usage: “Not to mention” and “to say nothing of” can be used to add extra information with a bit of emphasis. Example: “The war caused unprecedented suffering to millions of people, not to mention its impact on the country’s economy.”

Words and phrases for demonstrating contrast

When you’re developing an argument, you will often need to present contrasting or opposing opinions or evidence – “it could show this, but it could also show this”, or “X says this, but Y disagrees”. This section covers words you can use instead of the “but” in these examples, to make your writing sound more intelligent and interesting.

17. However

Usage: Use “however” to introduce a point that disagrees with what you’ve just said. Example: “Scholar A thinks this. However, Scholar B reached a different conclusion.”

18. On the other hand

Usage: Usage of this phrase includes introducing a contrasting interpretation of the same piece of evidence, a different piece of evidence that suggests something else, or an opposing opinion. Example: “The historical evidence appears to suggest a clear-cut situation. On the other hand, the archaeological evidence presents a somewhat less straightforward picture of what happened that day.”

19. Having said that

Usage: Used in a similar manner to “on the other hand” or “but”. Example: “The historians are unanimous in telling us X, an agreement that suggests that this version of events must be an accurate account. Having said that, the archaeology tells a different story.”

20. By contrast/in comparison

Usage: Use “by contrast” or “in comparison” when you’re comparing and contrasting pieces of evidence. Example: “Scholar A’s opinion, then, is based on insufficient evidence. By contrast, Scholar B’s opinion seems more plausible.”

21. Then again

Usage: Use this to cast doubt on an assertion. Example: “Writer A asserts that this was the reason for what happened. Then again, it’s possible that he was being paid to say this.”

22. That said

Usage: This is used in the same way as “then again”. Example: “The evidence ostensibly appears to point to this conclusion. That said, much of the evidence is unreliable at best.”

Usage: Use this when you want to introduce a contrasting idea. Example: “Much of scholarship has focused on this evidence. Yet not everyone agrees that this is the most important aspect of the situation.”

Adding a proviso or acknowledging reservations

Sometimes, you may need to acknowledge a shortfalling in a piece of evidence, or add a proviso. Here are some ways of doing so.

24. Despite this

Usage: Use “despite this” or “in spite of this” when you want to outline a point that stands regardless of a shortfalling in the evidence. Example: “The sample size was small, but the results were important despite this.”

25. With this in mind

Usage: Use this when you want your reader to consider a point in the knowledge of something else. Example: “We’ve seen that the methods used in the 19th century study did not always live up to the rigorous standards expected in scientific research today, which makes it difficult to draw definite conclusions. With this in mind, let’s look at a more recent study to see how the results compare.”

26. Provided that

Usage: This means “on condition that”. You can also say “providing that” or just “providing” to mean the same thing. Example: “We may use this as evidence to support our argument, provided that we bear in mind the limitations of the methods used to obtain it.”

27. In view of/in light of

Usage: These phrases are used when something has shed light on something else. Example: “In light of the evidence from the 2013 study, we have a better understanding of…”

28. Nonetheless

Usage: This is similar to “despite this”. Example: “The study had its limitations, but it was nonetheless groundbreaking for its day.”

29. Nevertheless

Usage: This is the same as “nonetheless”. Example: “The study was flawed, but it was important nevertheless.”

30. Notwithstanding

Usage: This is another way of saying “nonetheless”. Example: “Notwithstanding the limitations of the methodology used, it was an important study in the development of how we view the workings of the human mind.”

Giving examples

Good essays always back up points with examples, but it’s going to get boring if you use the expression “for example” every time. Here are a couple of other ways of saying the same thing.

31. For instance

Example: “Some birds migrate to avoid harsher winter climates. Swallows, for instance, leave the UK in early winter and fly south…”

32. To give an illustration

Example: “To give an illustration of what I mean, let’s look at the case of…”

Signifying importance

When you want to demonstrate that a point is particularly important, there are several ways of highlighting it as such.

33. Significantly

Usage: Used to introduce a point that is loaded with meaning that might not be immediately apparent. Example: “Significantly, Tacitus omits to tell us the kind of gossip prevalent in Suetonius’ accounts of the same period.”

34. Notably

Usage: This can be used to mean “significantly” (as above), and it can also be used interchangeably with “in particular” (the example below demonstrates the first of these ways of using it). Example: “Actual figures are notably absent from Scholar A’s analysis.”

35. Importantly

Usage: Use “importantly” interchangeably with “significantly”. Example: “Importantly, Scholar A was being employed by X when he wrote this work, and was presumably therefore under pressure to portray the situation more favourably than he perhaps might otherwise have done.”

Summarising

You’ve almost made it to the end of the essay, but your work isn’t over yet. You need to end by wrapping up everything you’ve talked about, showing that you’ve considered the arguments on both sides and reached the most likely conclusion. Here are some words and phrases to help you.

36. In conclusion

Usage: Typically used to introduce the concluding paragraph or sentence of an essay, summarising what you’ve discussed in a broad overview. Example: “In conclusion, the evidence points almost exclusively to Argument A.”

37. Above all

Usage: Used to signify what you believe to be the most significant point, and the main takeaway from the essay. Example: “Above all, it seems pertinent to remember that…”

38. Persuasive

Usage: This is a useful word to use when summarising which argument you find most convincing. Example: “Scholar A’s point – that Constanze Mozart was motivated by financial gain – seems to me to be the most persuasive argument for her actions following Mozart’s death.”

39. Compelling

Usage: Use in the same way as “persuasive” above. Example: “The most compelling argument is presented by Scholar A.”

40. All things considered

Usage: This means “taking everything into account”. Example: “All things considered, it seems reasonable to assume that…”

How many of these words and phrases will you get into your next essay? And are any of your favourite essay terms missing from our list? Let us know in the comments below, or get in touch here to find out more about courses that can help you with your essays.

At Oxford Royale Academy, we offer a number of  summer school courses for young people who are keen to improve their essay writing skills. Click here to apply for one of our courses today, including law , business , medicine  and engineering .

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Supported – Synonyms

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The word “supported” expresses that someone agrees with something, often by assisting, e.g. financially or emotionally. It may also describe that an object is physically held up by something. In academic writing, this word is commonly used to communicate whether an argument or claim is proven or disproven in an analysis.

Synonyms will be introduced in the following article.

On our overview page for synonyms, you can find the best options of synonyms for a vast variety of words that are used in academic writing .

To the overview page for synonyms

Inhaltsverzeichnis

• 1 “Supported” – General synonyms
• 2 “Supported” – Synonyms used in academic writing

“Supported” – General synonyms

The following illustrates another word for “supported” that may be used in everyday conversation as well as in academic writing.

• Agreed with
• Stood behind
• Stood up for
• Stuck up for

“Supported” – Synonyms used in academic writing

In an academic context, the word “supported” is used to back up a claim and to indicate whether an argument is proven or disproven.

Are you looking for another word for “supported” for your academic paper? Have a look at the table below with the 5 top suggestions from our BachelorPrint-Team .

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7.3: Types of Support

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• Page ID 84422

• Athena Kashyap & Erika Dyquisto
• City College of San Francisco via ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative

Types of Support

The types of support you develop and include in an essay will depend on what you are writing and why you are writing. For example, if you’re attempting to persuade your audience to take a particular position you might rely on facts, statistics, and concrete examples, rather than personal opinions. If you are writing an essay based on your observations, you might rely on those observations along with examples and reasons. If you are writing a research essay, you might include more quotations, reasons, and facts. Realize, though, that all types of support are usable in all types of essays, and that you often will have many or all of these types of support within one paragraph. The types of support, depending on the purpose of your essay, can include one or more of the following:

• Example : The refusal of the baby boom generation to retire is contributing to the current lack of available jobs.
• Example : Many families now rely on older relatives to support them financially.
• Example : Nearly 10 percent of adults are currently unemployed in the United States.(citation would be included here)
• Example : “We will not allow this situation to continue,” stated Senator Johns (citation would be included here).
• Example : Last year, Bill was asked to retire at the age of fifty-five.
• Example: I have known other workers at my current workplace who have been indirectly dismissed through changes in job duties and other tactics that are directed at making them want to retire, or at least leave their current position.
• Example: In an interview accessed online, Bill Gates expressed his optimism that privacy and government access of information will be balanced – that it’s not an either/or situation.

Here’s an example of one body paragraph that uses many types of support:

(Topic sentence) There are numerous advantages to owning a hybrid car. (Supporting sentence 1: statistic) First, they get 20 percent to 35 percent more miles to the gallon than a fuel-efficient gas-powered vehicle. (Supporting sentence 2: fact) Second, they produce very few emissions during low speed city driving. (Supporting sentence 3: reason) Because they do not require gas, hybrid cars reduce dependency on fossil fuels, which helps lower prices at the pump. (Supporting sentence 4: example) Alex bought a hybrid car two years ago and has been extremely impressed with its performance. (Supporting sentence 5: quotation) “It’s the cheapest car I’ve ever had,” she said. “The running costs are far lower than previous gas powered vehicles I’ve owned.” (Concluding sentence) Given the low running costs and environmental benefits of owning a hybrid car, it is likely that many more people will follow Alex’s example in the near future.

Although it’s really useful to understand that there are different types of support, realize that as writers develop support, they don’t necessarily think in terms of “I need a fact here” or “I need an observation there.” It’s often best to simply write your ideas down in the first stage of developing your support. Conscious consideration of different types of support occurs as you continue to work with and review your support, in terms of your writing purpose and audience.

For example, a research essay that offers only statistics and facts may become boring to your audience if not interspersed with your own interpretations and observations and reasons. A personal observation essay may not get your thesis point across to your audience well if it doesn’t include multiple, specific examples. Draft your support first, and then go back to the draft to develop it further, the second time with your purpose, audience, and types of support more consciously in mind.

Remember that a worthy argument is backed by examples. In order to construct a valid argument, good writers conduct lots of background research and take careful notes. They also talk to people knowledgeable about the topic in order to understand it better, before writing about it.

Finding the Right Kind of Support

To find information for your supporting sentences, you might consider using one of the following sources. Most of these can probably be found in your school's library.

• Reference book
• Encyclopedia
• Biography/autobiography
• Credibly newspaper/magazine
• Previous experience
• Personal research

To read more about sources and research, see Section 10.4, " Strategies for Gathering Information ," and Section 10.5, " Evaluating and Working with Sources ."

When searching for information on the Internet, remember that some websites are more reliable than others. websites ending in .gov or .edu are generally more reliable than websites ending in .com or .org. Wikis and blogs are not generally reliable sources of information because they are subject to inaccuracies and bias.

Identify the Characteristics of Good Primary Support

In order to fulfill the requirements of good primary support, the information you choose must meet the following standards: It should,

• Be specific. The main points you make about your thesis and the examples you use to expand on those points need to be specific. Use specific examples to provide the evidence and to build upon your general ideas. Examples give your reader something narrow to focus on, and if used properly, they leave little doubt about your claim. General examples, convey the necessary information, and are not nearly as compelling or useful in writing because they are too obvious and typical.
• Be relevant to the thesis. Primary support is considered strong when it relates directly to the thesis. Primary support should show, explain, or prove your main argument without delving into irrelevant details. When faced with lots of information that could be used to prove your thesis, you may want to include it all in your body paragraphs. But effective writers resist the temptation to lose focus. Choose your examples wisely by making sure they directly connect to your thesis.
• Be detailed. Remember that your thesis, while specific, should not be very detailed. Develop the discussion and detail in the body paragraphs. Using detailed support shows readers that you have considered all the facts and chosen only the most precise details to enhance your point of view.

You can consult a vast pool of resources to gather support for your stance. Citing relevant information from reliable sources ensures that your reader will take you seriously and consider your assertions. Use any of the following sources for your essay: newspapers or news organization websites, magazines, encyclopedias, and scholarly journals ( periodicals that address topics in a specialized field).

This brief video reinforces the idea of how support develops and is presented in an essay.

Exercise 1 \(\PageIndex{1}\)

Below you are provided with an audience, purpose, and a topic sentence you want to support. Write down what types of support you would use in this situation to convince your audience.

Audience: A friend

Purpose: Convince them to wear a mask when you go out for a hike together.

Topic Sentence: Masks are key to prevent the spread of COVID 19.

Specific types of support:

Collaboration: Compare your answers with a classmate.

Exercise 2\(\PageIndex{1}\)

Audience: Your manager

Purpose: Convince them to let you take time off during finals.

Topic Sentence: If I can't get extra time off, I may not be able to pass my class.

Exercise 3\(\PageIndex{1}\)

Audience: General public in college (as for an essay)

Purpose: Engage younger people in the democratic process.

Topic Sentence: The voting age should be lowered to 16 in local elections.

Contributors and Attributions

• Adapted from Writing for Success . Provided by: The Saylor Foundation. License: CC-NC-SA 3.0
• Adapted from College Writing . Authored by: Susan Oaks. Provided by: Lumen Learning. License: CC-NC-SA 3.0

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

36 Writing the Essay Body: Supporting Your Ideas

Whether the drafting of a paragraph begins with a main idea or whether that idea surfaces in the revision process, once you have that main idea, you’ll want to make sure that the idea has enough support. The job of the paragraph body is to develop and support the topic. Here’s one way that you might think about it:

• Topic sentence : what is the main claim of your paragraph; what is the most important idea that you want your readers to take away from this paragraph?
• Support in the form of evidence : how can you prove that your claim or idea is true (or important, or noteworthy, or relevant)?
• Support in the form of analysis or evaluation : what discussion can you provide that helps your readers see the connection between the evidence and your claim?
• Transition : how can you help your readers move from the idea you’re currently discussing to the next idea presented? For more specific discussion about transitions, see the following section on “ Transitions .”

For more on methods of development that can help you to develop and organize your ideas within paragraphs, see “ Patterns of Organization and Methods of Development ” later in this text.

Types of support might include

Now that we have a good idea what it means to develop support for the main ideas of your paragraphs, let’s talk about how to make sure that those supporting details are solid and convincing.

Strong vs. Weak Support

What questions will your readers have? What will they need to know? What makes for good supporting details? Why might readers consider some evidence to be weak?

If you’re already developing paragraphs, it’s likely that you already have a plan for your essay, at least at the most basic level. You know what your topic is, you might have a working thesis, and you probably have at least a couple of supporting ideas in mind that will further develop and support your thesis.

So imagine you’re developing a paragraph on one of these supporting ideas and you need to make sure that the support that you develop for this idea is solid. Considering some of the points about understanding and appealing to your audience (from the Audience and Purpose and the Prewriting sections of this text) can also be helpful in determining what your readers will consider good support and what they’ll consider to be weak. Here are some tips on what to strive for and what to avoid when it comes to supporting details.

Breaking, Combining, or Beginning New Paragraphs

Like sentence length, paragraph length varies. There is no single ideal length for “the perfect paragraph.”  There are some general guidelines, however.

Some writing handbooks or resources suggest that a paragraph should be at least three or four sentences; others suggest that 100 to 200 words is a good target to shoot for.

In academic writing, paragraphs tend to be longer, while in less formal or less complex writing, such as in a newspaper, paragraphs tend to be much shorter. Two-thirds to three-fourths of a page—or seven to twelve sentences—is usually a good target length for paragraphs at your current level of academic writing.

The amount of space needed to develop one idea will likely be different than the amount of space needed to develop another. So when is a paragraph complete? The answer is: when it’s fully developed. The guidelines above for providing good support should help.

Signs to end a paragraph and start a new one:

• You’re ready to begin developing a new idea.
• You want to emphasize a point by setting it apart.
• You’re getting ready to continue discussing the same idea but in a different way (e.g., shifting from comparison to contrast).
• You notice that your current paragraph is getting too long (more than three-fourths of a page or so), and you think your writers will need a visual break.

Signs to combine paragraphs include:

• You notice that some of your paragraphs appear to be short and choppy.
• You have multiple paragraphs on the same topic.
• You have undeveloped material that needs to be united under a clear topic.

Finally, paragraph number is a lot like paragraph length. You may have been asked in the past to write a five-paragraph essay. There’s nothing inherently wrong with a five-paragraph essay, but just like sentence length and paragraph length, the number of paragraphs in an essay depends upon what’s needed to get the job done. There’s really no way to know that until you start writing. So try not to worry too much about the proper length and number of things unless those are specified in your assignment. Just start writing and see where the essay and the paragraphs take you. There will be plenty of time to sort out the organization in the revision process. You’re not trying to fit pegs into holes here. You’re letting your ideas unfold. Give yourself—and them—the space to let that happen.

Text Attributions

• This chapter was adapted from “ The Paragraph Body: Supporting Your Ideas ” in The Word on College Reading and Writing by Carol Burnell, Jaime Wood, Monique Babin, Susan Pesznecker, and Nicole Rosevear, which is licensed under a CC BY-NC 4.0 Licence . Adapted by Allison Kilgannon.

Advanced English Copyright © 2021 by Allison Kilgannon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Types of supporting statements for your essay.

In essays, the body typically consists of a series of supporting statements that are designed to explain “why” you’re expressing a particular opinion.  This “why” can take the form of many different things.  Generally, though, it will fall under one (or more) of these five general types of supporting statements.

1. Specific examples

Examples are among the most popular supporting statements for essays, as they provide a tangible account that the reader can imagine, making your assertions more “real” in their minds.  If you argue that a particular politician is corrupt, for instance, you can state instances that depict that person in such a manner, making your claim more believable.

A fact is something that has been derived objectively – it’s something proven and undeniable.  As such, facts that support your assertions  – from statistics to scientific truths – make for some very compelling evidence.

When you provide supporting statements that aren’t completely “facts,” they generally fall under this category.  Reasons are typically drawn from both facts and opinions tied together by sound logic.  As such, they make sense as an argument, despite not owning full immunity to being challenged.  Want an example?  Read how many times we’ve promoted the use of a grammar checking software using pure “reasoning” in these pages.

4. Descriptions and anecdotes

Describing a particular situation or relaying an anecdotal event can sometimes prove to be a good method of illustrating a point.  Like reasons, they are often subject to interpretation.  When done well, however, they can illuminate unclear points.

5. Expert opinion

People may discount your opinion, but few will do the same for an expert in the field.  If you chance upon an authority on the subject that agrees with you, exploiting their words as a way to support your point can be very powerful.

Developing Support

You may develop support for your thesis sentence idea in a number of different ways, depending on the type and purpose of your writing. The lists below identify just a few selected ways to develop support.

Thesis-Support Essays (actually all essays) – develop support by:

• analyzing your thesis’ topic and angle
• e.g., If the thesis is that X is the best political candidate because of the candidate’s community involvement, past voting record, and current platform, then you know that you’ll have to offer multiple paragraphs about the candidate’s 1) community involvement, 2) past voting record, and 3) current platform

Analysis of an Issue/Logical Argument – develop support by:

• listing pros and cons related to the issue
• identifying the information you’d need to “convince the jury” of the validity of your argument
• applying logical argument strategies (choosing inductive or deductive structure, determining your audience’s values, etc.)

Research Essay – develop support by:

• narrowing the thesis to a question that can actually be researched
• determining the type of research sources and information you need to support the angle in your thesis
• accessing a variety of sources as appropriate (journal articles, books, people, statistical data, etc.)

Essay Applying a Pattern of Development – develop support by:

• fully understanding that pattern of development
• comparison and contrast requires two things that you’re comparing and/or contrasting at multiple points
• cause and effect requires as many causes and/or effects that you can identify
• classification and division requires all of the component “parts” of something
• process analysis requires all of the major (and appropriate minor) steps in the process

No matter what your writing purpose and type of support, understand that within a unit of support, information usually moves from general to specific, from topic sentence ideas to supporting concepts and then details and examples that further specify the concepts supporting the topic sentence’s angle.

This brief video reinforces the idea of how support develops and is presented in an essay.

Note: The content in this video is presented visually. You may listen to this video with audio description .

• Developing Support. Authored by : Susan Oaks. Provided by : Empire State College, SUNY OER Services. Project : College Writing. License : CC BY-NC: Attribution-NonCommercial
• image of man researching at computer. Authored by : StockSnap. Provided by : Pixabay. Located at : https://pixabay.com/en/laptop-computer-browser-research-2562325/ . License : CC0: No Rights Reserved
• video Supporting Details. Provided by : Mastering the Fundamentals of College Reading and Writing. Located at : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uE74-8YAV9E . License : Other . License Terms : Standard YouTube License

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Help Synonyms: 60+ Examples to Improve Your Writing

Allison Bressmer

I need some feedback on this paragraph; I’m fleshing out characters for a short story.

Fred and Barney were two good-hearted, helpful friends. Fred helped Barney with his homework, and Barney returned the favor by helping Fred clean his house. The two boys didn’t just help each other, they helped elderly neighbors with household chores and provided help to young parents by offering free babysitting.

You've probably noticed that I used the word help way too much. So how do we fix it?

As writers, we fall into repetitive habits, overusing words and making our writing dull. While I may have to reconsider my story of Fred and Barney entirely for reasons beyond the overuse of help , fixing that problem is a start. And thankfully, it’s an easy one to solve.

Help Has a Large Family of Related Words

Synonyms for the verb help, synonyms for the noun help, help as an interjection, compare synonyms for help.

If you’re part of a family, you automatically have a variety of identities. For example, I’m a wife, mother, daughter, sister, cousin, and aunt. I’m just one person, but I function in different ways depending on who I’m with and what my role is in their life. Of course there is an overlap sometimes, but even in a family crowd, I interact with people differently.

Like many other words, help has its share of identities as well: it can be a verb , a noun, or an interjection. And depending on its context, it performs different functions. As a result, it has a lot of synonyms.

When we think of the verb help , we most likely think of a scenario in which help means providing assistance or support. That's correct, but there are other meanins, too.

There are a variety of definitions for help , even within its identity as a verb. These sentences show several ways help can take on different connotations and nuances even within its verb identity.

Help the verb can mean

• I offered to help her with her move to a new apartment.

To soothe or make less severe or more tolerable

• Take an aspirin to help your muscle aches.
• I don’t think there’s anything to help my heartbreak.

To benefit or be useful to

• She told me earning my degree would help my job prospects.
• Your generous donation will help us find a cure!

To change for the better

• More salt will help the flavor come through.

To keep from happening; to prevent

• Sorry I snore; I just can’t help it.
• They could not help what occurred.

I think you can see why synonyms are... helpful… when it comes to help . With all of those possible uses, it is easy to fall into using the word repetitively. You must still consider your context carefully, but this chart, organized by common denotations of help , gives you plenty of synonym options to work with.

Note : the use represented in the final category is pretty close to being idiomatic . We often say “I just couldn’t help myself” or “Don’t blame him, he couldn’t help it.” Swapping a synonym may be trickier here, so be certain the one you choose fits your tone, context, and purpose.

And speaking of idioms, there are a couple of other ways help is used in figures of speech, which means you probably won’t swap out the help for a synonym in these contexts:

• Help yourself to more food.
• You cannot just help yourself to my money!

As a noun , help takes on distinct meanings again, but not with as much variety as it does in its verb form.

Help (the noun) can mean:

An act of assistance

• I would love some help with this project.
• If you could lift the other side, that would be a great help.
• If they want to provide help, they can wash the dishes.

A source of aid or guidance

• The assembly instructions provided almost no help.
• The food you sent over was such a help.
• Their involvement isn’t a help; it’s just another problem!

The noun help has also been used in negative or diminishing ways to describe domestic workers. People who describe others as “the help” or “hired help” are generally putting themselves in a superior position.

As with the verb help , there are also idiomatic uses for the noun help .

• The situation is beyond help → there is no relief or remedy for the situation
• There is no help for him → there really is no hope for the person
• Help wanted → employees or workers are wanted for hire

While you could substitute remedy , rescue , or relief for help in the first example, and hope or chance for the second, using help in those phrases will convey your meaning most clearly—at least among those who share your language and its idioms.

What About “A Helping?”

When you add “ing” to the verb help , you change the verb’s tense, but not the word’s meaning.

However, helping can also be used as a noun, with a meaning other than “an act of assistance” or “a source of aid.”

A helping is a serving of food.

I’d like another helping please.

The kids have already had two helpings of dessert; they don’t need candy!

(A) serving and (a) portion are the most precise synonyms for the noun (a) helping.

Interjection is a part of speech category. Unlike the other seven parts of speech , interjections do not have a grammatical connection to any of their surrounding text.

Interjections are exclamations; abrupt utterances that express an intense, sudden emotion.

When we make exclamations such as these,

Help! Someone just tried to rob me!

Help! I can’t swim!

Help! Help! There’s a child in danger!

we are using help as an interjection.

If you’re in the midst of a situation that requires using help this way, you might not be too worried about synonyms.

But maybe you’re writing a short story and you’ve got time to think about the emergency. Or maybe you’re stranded on a deserted island with nothing much to do but find creative ways to write Help! for when a plane flies overhead. In that case, you can consider these options:

Fun Fact: The Beatles’ song “Help!” uses help in all of its respective parts of speech! Synonyms probably wouldn’t have generated such a hit, though.

Whether you need another word for the verb, noun, or exclamation help , be certain to choose your replacement carefully. ProWritingAid's Repeats Check highlights the repeated words in your document and offers contextually relevant synonyms that will best fit your context, tone, and purpose.

Try the Repeats Report with a free ProWritingAid account.

I sincerely hope that this post has helped, assisted, and aided you in your quest to find synonyms for help. I only want to be a help, asset, and benefit. If you need any more ideas, send out an S.O.S!

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Allison Bressmer is a professor of freshman composition and critical reading at a community college and a freelance writer. If she isn’t writing or teaching, you’ll likely find her reading a book or listening to a podcast while happily sipping a semi-sweet iced tea or happy-houring with friends. She lives in New York with her family. Connect at linkedin.com/in/allisonbressmer.

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Synonyms of supports

• as in pillars
• as in assists
• as in endorses
• as in maintains
• as in sustains
• as in reinforces
• as in defends
• as in confirms
• as in accepts
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Thesaurus Definition of supports

 (Entry 1 of 2)

Synonyms & Similar Words

• reinforcements
• foundations
• underpinnings
• cantilevers
• assistances
• encouragements
• helping hands
• facilitations
• sponsorships
• advancements
• furtherances
• benefactions
• nurturances
• beneficences
• attendances
• hand - holdings
• palliations
• philanthropies
• assuagements

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• constraints
• obstructions
• interferences
• repressions
• frustrations
• inhibitions
• discouragements
• deterrences

Thesaurus Definition of supports  (Entry 2 of 2)

• stands up for
• goes in for
• sticks up for
• holds a brief for
• plumps (for)
• goes to bat for
• plonks (for)
• plunks (for)
• sides (with)
• disappoints
• provides (for)
• underwrites
• takes care of
• foots the bill (for)
• shores (up)
• corroborates
• establishes
• substantiates
• underscores
• controverts
• authenticates
• demonstrates
• testifies (to)
• vouches (for)
• contradicts
• facilitates
• bears a hand
• stands one in good stead
• ministers (to)
• cares (for)
• discourages
• inconveniences
• disheartens
• countenances
• toughs it out
• reconciles (to)
• agrees (with or to)
• submits (to)
• consents (to)
• yields (to)
• assents (to)
• capitulates
• circumvents
• refrains (from)
• abstains (from)

Thesaurus Entries Near supports

Cite this entry.

“Supports.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/supports. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on supports

Nglish: Translation of supports for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of supports for Arabic Speakers

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25 Best Transition Words for Providing Evidence

Transition words and phrases for providing evidence include “For example,”, “Evidence shows”, “A study found”, and “To demonstrate this point”.

These transition words and phrases can smooth the transition from one sentence to the next and help guide your reader, as shown below:

“ The scientific community is nearly unanimous about the human-caused impacts of climate change. In fact, a 2021 literature review found that 99% of published scientific papers on climate change agree that humans have caused climate change (Lynas et al, 2021).”

If you have an entire paragraph dedicated to outlining evidence for your argument, you may want a transition word at the start of the paragraph (see examples) that indicates to your reader that you are about to provide evidence for statements made in a previous paragraph.

Shortlist of Transition Words for Evidence

• To illustrate this point…
• As can be seen in…
• To demonstrate,…
• Evidence of this fact can be seen in…
• Proof of this point is found in…
• For instance,…
• For one thing,…
• Compelling evidence shows…
• For a case in point, readers should look no further than…
• In fact, one study finds…
• New evidence has found…
• Evidence shows…
• In view of recent evidence,…
• Notably, one study found…
• A seminal study has found…
• According to…
• In the article…
• Three separate studies have found…
• Research indicates…
• Supporting evidence shows…
• As [Author] demonstrates…
• For example,…
• A study in 2022 found…
• This argument is supported by…
• A key report on this topic uncovered…

Read Also: 6 Best Ways to Provide Evidence in an Essay

Examples of Transitions to Evidence (in Context)

1. For example…

“ The scientific community is nearly unanimous about the human-caused impacts of climate change. For example, a 2021 literature review found that 99% of published scientific papers on climate change agree that humans have caused climate change (Lynas et al, 2021).”

2. As [Author] demonstrates…

“ The scientific community is nearly unanimous about the human-caused impacts of climate change. As Lynas et al. (2021) demonstrate, 99% of published scientific papers on climate change agree that humans have caused climate change (Lynas et al, 2021).”

3. Evidence suggests…

“ The scientific community is nearly unanimous about the human-caused impacts of climate change. Evidence from a 2021 literature review suggests that 99% of published scientific papers on climate change agree that humans have caused climate change (Lynas et al, 2021).”

4. A study in 2021 found…

“ The scientific community is nearly unanimous about the human-caused impacts of climate change. A study in 2021 found that 99% of published scientific papers on climate change agree that humans have caused climate change (Lynas et al, 2021).”

5. This argument is supported by…

“ The scientific community is nearly unanimous about the human-caused impacts of climate change. This argument is supported by a comprehensive literature review in 2021 that found that 99% of published scientific papers on climate change agree that humans have caused climate change (Lynas et al, 2021).”

Transition Words for Explaining Evidence

After you have provided your evidence, it is recommended that you provide a follow-up sentence explaining the evidence, its strength, and its relevance to the reader .

In other words, you may need a subsequent transition word that moves your reader from evidence to explanation.

Some examples of transition words for explaining evidence include:

• “This evidence shows…”
• “As shown above,”
• “The relevance of this point is”
• “These findings demonstrate”
• “This evidence compellingly demonstrates”
• “These findings suggest”
• “With this information, it is reasonable to conclude”

Examples of Transition Words for Explaining Evidence (in Context)

1. “This evidence shows…”

“ The scientific community is nearly unanimous about the human-caused impacts of climate change. As Lynas et al. (2021) demonstrate, 99% of published scientific papers on climate change agree that humans have caused climate change (Lynas et al, 2021). This evidence shows that governments should take climate change very seriously.”

2. “As shown above,”

“ The scientific community is nearly unanimous about the human-caused impacts of climate change. As Lynas et al. (2021) demonstrate, 99% of published scientific papers on climate change agree that humans have caused climate change (Lynas et al, 2021). As shown above, the evidence is compelling. Governments should take climate change very seriously.”

3. “The relevance of this point is”

“ The scientific community is nearly unanimous about the human-caused impacts of climate change. As Lynas et al. (2021) demonstrate, 99% of published scientific papers on climate change agree that humans have caused climate change (Lynas et al, 2021). The relevance of this point is that the time for debate is over. Governments should take climate change very seriously.”

Writing your Paragraph

I have a very simple structure for paragraphs. It’s as follows:

• Aim for 4 to 6 sentences per paragraph
• Use a topic sentence for the first sentence
• Follow up with transition phrases that help link the topic sentence to evidence and explanations that support your topic sentence.

Sometimes people call this the TEEL paragraph: topic, evidence, explanation, linking sentence.

It looks something like this:

For more on how I teach paragraphs, watch my YouTube video below:

(You can also take my essay writing course for all my tips and tricks on essay writing!)

Other Types of Transition Words

1. Emphasis

• “This strongly suggests”
• “To highlight the seriousness of this,”
• “To emphasize this point,”

2. Addition

• “In addition,”
• “Furthermore,”
• “Moreover,”
• “Additionally,”

3. Compare and Contrast

• “By contrast,”
• “However, other evidence contradicts this.”
• “Despite this,”

Go Deeper: Compare and Contrast Essay Examples

• “Firstly”, “secondly”, “thirdly”
• “Following on from the above point,”
• “Next”, “Then”, “Finally”

5. Cause and Effect

• “As a result,”
• “This has caused…”
• “Consequently,”
• “Because of this,”
• “Due to this,”
• “The result of this”

7. Illustration and examples

• “For example,”
• “To illustrate this point,”
• “An illustrative example is…”

8. Transitioning to conclusions

• “In conclusion”
• “This essay has demonstrated”
• “Given the compelling evidence presented in this essay,”

How many are Too many Transition Words?

I generally recommend between 1 and 3 transition words per paragraph, with an average of about 2.

If you have a transition word at the start of each and every sentence, the technique becomes repetitive and loses its value.

While you should use a transition whenever you feel it is necessary and natural, it’s worth checking if you’ve over-used certain words and phrases throughout your essay.

I’ve found the best way to see if your writing has started to sound unnatural is to read it out loud to yourself.

In this process, consider:

• Removing some Transition Words: If you identify a paragraph that has a transition word at the beginning of every single sentence, remove a few so you have one at the start of the paragraph and one in the middle of the paragraph – that’s all.
• Removing Overused Words: People tend to get a single word stuck in their head and they use it over and over again. If you identify overuse of a single word, it’s best to change it up. Consider some synonyms (like some of the words and phrases listed above) to add some more variety to your language.

Related: List of Words to Start a Paragraph

Overall, transition words that show evidence can help guide your reader. They allow you to tell a smooth and logical story. They can enhance the quality of your writing and help demonstrate your command of the topic.

When transitioning from an orientation sentence to your evidence, use transition words like “For example,” and “Evidence demonstrates” to link the two sentences or paragraphs.

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 5 Top Tips for Succeeding at University
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14 Other Words for “Said” in an Essay

You want to sound as engaging and interesting as possible when writing an essay, and using words like “said” might prevent that.

So, if you’re about to use “said” for the umpteenth time, you’re in luck!

We have gathered some alternatives to show you other ways to say “said” in an essay that are bound to keep the reader entertained.

Other Ways to Say “Said”

Key takeaways.

• “Stated” is a great essay word that shows you are quoting a specific statement from a trustworthy source.
• “Declared” is a great way to describe an announcement or official quote.
• “Mentioned” is a bit simpler and allows you to highlight a quote that’s relevant to your essay.

Keep reading to find out how to quote what someone said in an essay. We’ll go over the three most effective terms to help spice up your academic writing.

One of the most common ways to replace “said” in an essay is “stated.” It’s a great formal synonym that helps to keep things direct and clear for the reader.

It works well before a quote. You should write “stated” to clarify that you’re about to run a quote by the reader.

Of course, you can’t claim that someone “stated” something without backing it up with evidence.

The last thing you’ll want is for the reader to look into the quote and find out it was never actually said.

But, as long as you’ve done your research, this works well. Good academic phrases that start with “stated” help you to establish a clear quote relating to the bulk of your essay.

These essay samples will also help you understand it:

It’s clear that he stated “time is the killer of all things.” However, nobody really understood the prophetic meaning behind it.

She stated that “it’s time to make the changes you want to see in the world.” That’s what led most people to join the revolution.

For a more impactful alternative, you can use “declared.”

You won’t find “declared” quite as often as “said,” but it’s still an incredibly good term to include.

It’s a formal synonym. It also shows that someone announced something important .

Generally, “declared” comes before compelling quotes. It might be more suitable to use it when quoting a famous politician or monarch of some kind.

It’s a surefire way to engage the reader and spark their imagination.

We highly recommend it when you’re certain that it belongs before a quote and will allow you to establish a more powerful meaning behind it.

Perhaps these essay samples will also help you with it:

The king declared “good things will come to those who ask me for them.” He was a very proud man.

She declared that “this was going to be the only time she offered her services to those in need.”

Feel free to use “mentioned,” too. It’s another word you can use instead of “said” in an essay that’ll keep things engaging for the reader.

It’s much subtler than the other phrases. It suggests that someone has made a brief comment about something, and you’d like to quote it for the reader.

Don’t worry; it’s still a good formal synonym. However, you should use it when the quote isn’t the most important part of your essay.

Quotes are there to add a bit of context for the reader. So, they’re not always needed to improve an essay.

“Mentioned” is a simple word that allows you to include a short but interesting quote . However, it usually isn’t as impactful as saying something like “declared” or “exclaimed.”

You can also refer to these essay examples:

The politician mentioned that “we cannot know what we haven’t already experienced.” That resonated with me.

It was clear that he mentioned “things were bound to change soon,” so they had to figure out what he meant.

• 11 Other Ways to Say “Thank You for Your Time”
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• 19 Gender-Neutral Alternatives to “Dear Sir or Madam”

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I hated when other moms told me to ‘just wait.’ And now I've become one

“Cate’s been such an easy baby,” my friend told me as she described her second-born’s sunny disposition one afternoon at the park.   

I watched my own second-born child, a toddler, as he ran around the playground. I gripped my cup of coffee as I waited for his next catastrophe: pushing another child, melting down on a too-high slide, falling from an inappropriate climb, or eating mulch.  

“Just wait,” I said, nodding toward my wild child. “He was a chill baby, too.”   

Later that evening, after I’d tucked my children into bed and tried to fall asleep myself, I realized what I’d done: I just waited my dear, newly postpartum friend.  

I, like every other mother on the planet, hated being just waited . Just wait until he’s talking. Just wait until he starts school. Just wait until he’s a teenager.  

Just waiting someone tries to steal present happiness by planting anxiety about a harrowing future around the corner. It’s not a kind thing to impose upon anyone — and I’d just done it without thinking to my friend.  

The next day, I texted an apology to my friend, and she was gracious in her response. But as I went about the day parenting my difficult toddler, reinforcing boundaries as he climbed the furniture and squeezed toothpaste all over the floor, I realized something: My just wait was not motivated by meanness. It was my way of confiding something hard about my own life. And in this realization, I started to reconsider the motivations of those who had just waited me in the past. 

Even though we all hate hearing just wait , it’s still more socially appropriate than, say, unloading our pain onto acquaintances. While I might make small talk at playdates about my children’s milestones, I’m not likely to include the part where I’m afraid my children aren’t meeting theirs because I let them use screens too often. Or because we don’t get enough outdoor time. Or because no matter how much meditation I do before bed, I still struggle with being a present parent.  

In the same way that we all know it’s not socially savvy to respond to the question, “How are you?” with a candid response, there are very few face-to-face outlets for parents to talk about the insecurities and difficulties that come with child rearing. And this lack of deep connection comes with severe consequences: the loneliness epidemic extends to parents, too, and the health consequences are as severe as smoking .  

As I reflected upon my own gaffe with my friend, I thought back to an encounter I had with an older woman at church several weeks before.  

“Just wait until he starts extracurriculars,” she said as I spoke about how I struggled to balance a toddler’s nap schedule with the rest of our family’s commitments. Though I resented what I perceived as negativity and cynicism directed toward me, I reevaluated my encounter with her:  

What if this was her way of confiding something difficult about her life? I thought to myself. Maybe she’s looking for an outlet to talk about how hard her own children’s activities have been for her. Maybe her just wait has nothing to do with me at all. Maybe this is her imperfect attempt at connection. 

Taking on this mindset — that others are looking to share rather than harm — has helped me reframe many other encounters that I may perceive as offensive or rude. Really listening to another person’s just wait helps me cultivate empathy, rather than resentment, toward other parents. 

While I appreciate those who share the positive events awaiting me in the parenting journey — the first smile, the first full night’s sleep, the first walk, the first dance — when someone just waits me with something negative, I’m trying to perceive those comments as information rather than affronts. When an older parent threatens me with the horror that is the teenage years , I could choose to take offense. Or I could consider it the beginning of a conversation: a glimmer of their humanity, an opportunity to be present with another person, a person just as imperfect and hungry for meaningful relationships as myself.

Anna Rollins' forthcoming memoir "Famished" (Eerdmans) discusses the importance of women listening to their own bodies. Follow her writing on Substack and Instagram . 

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NPR defends its journalism after senior editor says it has lost the public's trust

David Folkenflik

NPR is defending its journalism and integrity after a senior editor wrote an essay accusing it of losing the public's trust. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

NPR is defending its journalism and integrity after a senior editor wrote an essay accusing it of losing the public's trust.

NPR's top news executive defended its journalism and its commitment to reflecting a diverse array of views on Tuesday after a senior NPR editor wrote a broad critique of how the network has covered some of the most important stories of the age.

"An open-minded spirit no longer exists within NPR, and now, predictably, we don't have an audience that reflects America," writes Uri Berliner.

A strategic emphasis on diversity and inclusion on the basis of race, ethnicity and sexual orientation, promoted by NPR's former CEO, John Lansing, has fed "the absence of viewpoint diversity," Berliner writes.

NPR's chief news executive, Edith Chapin, wrote in a memo to staff Tuesday afternoon that she and the news leadership team strongly reject Berliner's assessment.

"We're proud to stand behind the exceptional work that our desks and shows do to cover a wide range of challenging stories," she wrote. "We believe that inclusion — among our staff, with our sourcing, and in our overall coverage — is critical to telling the nuanced stories of this country and our world."

NPR names tech executive Katherine Maher to lead in turbulent era

She added, "None of our work is above scrutiny or critique. We must have vigorous discussions in the newsroom about how we serve the public as a whole."

A spokesperson for NPR said Chapin, who also serves as the network's chief content officer, would have no further comment.

Praised by NPR's critics

Berliner is a senior editor on NPR's Business Desk. (Disclosure: I, too, am part of the Business Desk, and Berliner has edited many of my past stories. He did not see any version of this article or participate in its preparation before it was posted publicly.)

Berliner's essay , titled "I've Been at NPR for 25 years. Here's How We Lost America's Trust," was published by The Free Press, a website that has welcomed journalists who have concluded that mainstream news outlets have become reflexively liberal.

Berliner writes that as a Subaru-driving, Sarah Lawrence College graduate who "was raised by a lesbian peace activist mother ," he fits the mold of a loyal NPR fan.

Yet Berliner says NPR's news coverage has fallen short on some of the most controversial stories of recent years, from the question of whether former President Donald Trump colluded with Russia in the 2016 election, to the origins of the virus that causes COVID-19, to the significance and provenance of emails leaked from a laptop owned by Hunter Biden weeks before the 2020 election. In addition, he blasted NPR's coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

On each of these stories, Berliner asserts, NPR has suffered from groupthink due to too little diversity of viewpoints in the newsroom.

The essay ricocheted Tuesday around conservative media , with some labeling Berliner a whistleblower . Others picked it up on social media, including Elon Musk, who has lambasted NPR for leaving his social media site, X. (Musk emailed another NPR reporter a link to Berliner's article with a gibe that the reporter was a "quisling" — a World War II reference to someone who collaborates with the enemy.)

When asked for further comment late Tuesday, Berliner declined, saying the essay spoke for itself.

The arguments he raises — and counters — have percolated across U.S. newsrooms in recent years. The #MeToo sexual harassment scandals of 2016 and 2017 forced newsrooms to listen to and heed more junior colleagues. The social justice movement prompted by the killing of George Floyd in 2020 inspired a reckoning in many places. Newsroom leaders often appeared to stand on shaky ground.

Leaders at many newsrooms, including top editors at The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times , lost their jobs. Legendary Washington Post Executive Editor Martin Baron wrote in his memoir that he feared his bonds with the staff were "frayed beyond repair," especially over the degree of self-expression his journalists expected to exert on social media, before he decided to step down in early 2021.

Since then, Baron and others — including leaders of some of these newsrooms — have suggested that the pendulum has swung too far.

Author Interviews

Legendary editor marty baron describes his 'collision of power' with trump and bezos.

New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger warned last year against journalists embracing a stance of what he calls "one-side-ism": "where journalists are demonstrating that they're on the side of the righteous."

"I really think that that can create blind spots and echo chambers," he said.

Internal arguments at The Times over the strength of its reporting on accusations that Hamas engaged in sexual assaults as part of a strategy for its Oct. 7 attack on Israel erupted publicly . The paper conducted an investigation to determine the source of a leak over a planned episode of the paper's podcast The Daily on the subject, which months later has not been released. The newsroom guild accused the paper of "targeted interrogation" of journalists of Middle Eastern descent.

Heated pushback in NPR's newsroom

Given Berliner's account of private conversations, several NPR journalists question whether they can now trust him with unguarded assessments about stories in real time. Others express frustration that he had not sought out comment in advance of publication. Berliner acknowledged to me that for this story, he did not seek NPR's approval to publish the piece, nor did he give the network advance notice.

Some of Berliner's NPR colleagues are responding heatedly. Fernando Alfonso, a senior supervising editor for digital news, wrote that he wholeheartedly rejected Berliner's critique of the coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict, for which NPR's journalists, like their peers, periodically put themselves at risk.

Alfonso also took issue with Berliner's concern over the focus on diversity at NPR.

"As a person of color who has often worked in newsrooms with little to no people who look like me, the efforts NPR has made to diversify its workforce and its sources are unique and appropriate given the news industry's long-standing lack of diversity," Alfonso says. "These efforts should be celebrated and not denigrated as Uri has done."

After this story was first published, Berliner contested Alfonso's characterization, saying his criticism of NPR is about the lack of diversity of viewpoints, not its diversity itself.

"I never criticized NPR's priority of achieving a more diverse workforce in terms of race, ethnicity and sexual orientation. I have not 'denigrated' NPR's newsroom diversity goals," Berliner said. "That's wrong."

Questions of diversity

Under former CEO John Lansing, NPR made increasing diversity, both of its staff and its audience, its "North Star" mission. Berliner says in the essay that NPR failed to consider broader diversity of viewpoint, noting, "In D.C., where NPR is headquartered and many of us live, I found 87 registered Democrats working in editorial positions and zero Republicans."

Berliner cited audience estimates that suggested a concurrent falloff in listening by Republicans. (The number of people listening to NPR broadcasts and terrestrial radio broadly has declined since the start of the pandemic.)

Former NPR vice president for news and ombudsman Jeffrey Dvorkin tweeted , "I know Uri. He's not wrong."

Others questioned Berliner's logic. "This probably gets causality somewhat backward," tweeted Semafor Washington editor Jordan Weissmann . "I'd guess that a lot of NPR listeners who voted for [Mitt] Romney have changed how they identify politically."

Similarly, Nieman Lab founder Joshua Benton suggested the rise of Trump alienated many NPR-appreciating Republicans from the GOP.

In recent years, NPR has greatly enhanced the percentage of people of color in its workforce and its executive ranks. Four out of 10 staffers are people of color; nearly half of NPR's leadership team identifies as Black, Asian or Latino.

"The philosophy is: Do you want to serve all of America and make sure it sounds like all of America, or not?" Lansing, who stepped down last month, says in response to Berliner's piece. "I'd welcome the argument against that."

"On radio, we were really lagging in our representation of an audience that makes us look like what America looks like today," Lansing says. The U.S. looks and sounds a lot different than it did in 1971, when NPR's first show was broadcast, Lansing says.

A network spokesperson says new NPR CEO Katherine Maher supports Chapin and her response to Berliner's critique.

The spokesperson says that Maher "believes that it's a healthy thing for a public service newsroom to engage in rigorous consideration of the needs of our audiences, including where we serve our mission well and where we can serve it better."

Disclosure: This story was reported and written by NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by Deputy Business Editor Emily Kopp and Managing Editor Gerry Holmes. Under NPR's protocol for reporting on itself, no NPR corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly.

Gen Z wants student loan forgiveness without any accountability. It doesn't work that way.

Blanket cancellation does nothing to combat the problem of the student loan crisis. it would only serve as a further incentive for students to attend colleges they can’t afford..

My generation has a political problem. We gravitate toward quick fixes for massive problems that plague our country. The generation raised on instant gratification, to little surprise, is looking for the same in politics and government.

On no other issue is this more apparent than the student loan crisis. Rather than targeting the root of the problem of federally subsidized student loans, President Joe Biden has instead pushed forward the Band-Aid fix of blanket student debt cancellation in order to score a cheap political win with America's youth. 

On the 2020 campaign trail, candidate Biden championed his plan to "immediately cancel a minimum of $10,000 of student debt per person." That empty promise appears to have worked the first time around, as he captured 65% of the Gen Z vote , compared with Trump’s 31%.

So is it any surprise that Biden's promise to eliminate student debt went on to be one of his administration's major policy moves? That might be why 77% of voters ages 18-29 said student debt relief was a motivating factor for their turnout in the midterm elections.

Gen Z's support for Biden's student debt plan is maddening

On the issue of student loans, Gen Z broadly favors blanket debt cancellation similar to Biden’s proposed plan. Almost 60% of those born in 1997 or later support the plan that has since been struck down by the Supreme Court , compared with just 46% of all voters in swing states.

Maddeningly enough, that same Bloomberg News/Morning Consult survey reveals Gen Z is far less literate on the details of the plan than other generations, with 42% reporting they had heard “not much” or “not at all” of the plan, compared with just 30% of all other voters in swing states.

Why I'm not voting: I'm not voting for Trump or Biden. You want my vote? Choose better candidates.

I struggle to come up with a term to describe my generation on this issue besides “entitled.” Not only are we broadly in favor of other people paying off our debts, a majority of whom do not hold a bachelor's degree or higher, we don’t even have the decency to be more aware of the issue than generations that are more likely to have already paid off their loans.

A sobering truth for young Americans needs to be heard. You do not have the right to demand other people pay off your poor financial decisions. 

Gen Z should push Congress to find a long-term solution

Biden’s plan was not only unwise but also unconstitutional at its core, as highlighted by the Supreme Court when it struck down the plan last June . While I think this course of action is unwise and immoral, Gen Z has a better chance of accomplishing debt relief through Congress, which is responsible for the power of the purse.

Gen Z isn't going away: Don't believe the narrative that Gen Z will vote Biden. My generation is up for grabs.

Blanket cancellation does nothing to combat the problem of the student loan crisis. In fact, it would only serve as a further incentive for students to attend colleges they can’t afford, obtaining degrees that give them little chance of allowing them to pay off the debt they accrued in the process.

Congressional efforts are much better geared toward legislation curtailing the federal student lending programs that have gotten us into this mess in the first place.

The problem is federal involvement in student loans

Our government’s involvement in the student debt crisis is clearly unacceptable. Federal lending programs now offer aid to the vast majority of students.

A 2017 study from the Federal Reserve indicates that for every dollar of federal student loans an institution receives, it's able to raise the cost of attendance by 60 cents. 

In a time when 37% of graduates report being unable to afford their monthly loan repayment , a short-term fix like cancellation will do nothing to prevent future generations from suffering the same fate. Young voters should look to other methods to sway their vote for actual change on the issue, not false promises attempting to bribe them. 

Gen Z should concentrate our efforts on voting for candidates who promise actual change on the issue, or better yet, take personal responsibility for financial decisions. Understanding your financial decision in attending college, rather than blaming politicians for not stealing other people’s money to pay your debt, is a much better use of your time and will lead to better results for your future. 

Dace Potas is an Opinion fellow for USA TODAY. A graduate from DePaul University with a degree in political science, he's also president of  the Lone Conservative , the largest conservative student-run publication in the country .

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Guest Essay

There Is a Part of Modern Life That Is So Essential Armies Should Never Attack It Again

By Peter Fairley

Mr. Fairley is a journalist who has covered power technology and policy for over 20 years.

In late March, after two years of withering attacks on Ukraine, Russia knocked out half of Ukraine’s power supply. Up to that point, Russia’s missiles and kamikaze drones had mostly targeted the Ukrainian substations that push electricity from power plants to consumers. But this time they hit the plants themselves, severely damaging and destroying hydroelectric and fossil fuel stations — all of which are difficult to repair or replace.

When power stops, life grinds to a halt. Lights go out. Sewage treatment stops. Clean water stops. Electric cars, buses and trolleys stop. Elevators stop, trapping older and disabled people. For many, home heating, refrigeration, cooking and clothes washing stops, along with medical devices such as oxygen generators.

Even though the world’s dependence on electricity for all of this and more is growing, power grids are still legitimate military targets, according to both international law and our own military rule book. But there are small, promising signs that could be changing. Early last month, before Russia’s most damaging assaults, the International Criminal Court in The Hague concluded that the country’s pummeling of Ukraine’s power system had already crossed the line and issued arrest warrants for a pair of senior Russian commanders, Adm. Viktor Nikolayevich Sokolov and Lt. Gen. Sergei Ivanovich Kobylash, whose units are accused of launching the missiles. (Russia has denied committing war crimes.)

It was the world’s first prosecution of combatants for attacks on a power grid and an important first step toward recognizing electricity’s growing centrality to modern life. But the global community must now draw bright lines for combatants in future conflicts — and strengthen the hand of future prosecutors — by codifying specific protections for power grids. The international community already attempts to do that for select infrastructure, including hospitals, dams and nuclear power plants, via the Geneva Conventions. It’s time to add power grids to that privileged roster.

For decades, armies have routinely attacked power grids during war. Germany targeted Britain’s grid from zeppelins in World War I, and NATO jets targeted power plants in Serbia in 1999. The civilian fallout from these attacks can be devastating: When the United States knocked out Baghdad’s electricity in 1991 in the Persian Gulf war, water and sewage treatment were disrupted, sparking typhoid and cholera epidemics.

International law is supposed to curb these kinds of attacks; the laws set out in the Geneva Conventions consider power grids “civilian objects,” to be protected in war. But in practice, thanks to myriad exceptions, militaries can justify nearly any attack where anticipated gains outweigh the projected civilian suffering.

Governments often point to electricity’s role in everything from political and military communications to arms manufacturing. According to Russia’s Defense Ministry , the massive strikes last month were necessary because they disrupted enterprises making and repairing “weapons, equipment and ammunition.” But it would seem that the real goal was to terrorize and break the Ukrainian people. Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitri Peskov, said as much while explaining grid attacks in November 2022 that left 10 million people without power: “The unwillingness of the Ukrainian side to settle the problem, to start negotiations, its refusal to seek common ground, this is their consequence.”

In its Department of Defense Law of War Manual updated last year, the United States says that it views power plants as important enough to a state’s military functions “to qualify as military objectives during armed conflicts.” The Pentagon rule book dismisses civilian injuries and deaths caused by blackouts as too “remote” and “myriad” for field commanders to accurately calculate and encourages them to consider only the civilians affected “very soon after the attack,” such as those at a hospital directly connected to a power plant. But even in that case, the manual hews to the general rule for civilian infrastructure, advising American forces to stand down only where the harm of powering down life support will be “excessive” relative to the gains.

Unsurprisingly, even U.S. military experts on the law of armed conflict have taken divergent stands on Russia’s grid attacks in Ukraine, attacks it continued last week. “At least some” violated international law, wrote one . Another found it hard to “definitively” identify a criminal act.

The three-judge International Criminal Court panel said it had “reasonable grounds to believe” that the officers they seek to apprehend committed crimes against humanity. That charge applies to unlawful acts that are widespread or systematic, and Russia’s grid attacks keep intensifying.

Our military began scaling down its attacks on electrical grids over 20 years ago. Gregory Noone — a captain and former judge advocate in the U.S. Navy who has trained government officials in Rwanda, Afghanistan and Russia in the laws of war — told me he saw a shift in U.S. behavior between the Persian Gulf war and the Iraq war. “We, the U.S. military, took great pride in the fact that we turned all the lights off in Baghdad in the first gulf war. We wiped out their electric grid,” Dr. Noone said. But by the time of the Iraq war, “we realized that wasn’t such a good idea.”

Other countries would be wise to follow our lead and reject wholesale attacks on the grid. It would save lives and prevent needless destruction; it would also help build an unwritten (yet enforceable) body of international law constraining power grid attacks.

But the international community can and should go further. A strong grid protection protocol that explicitly limits power system destruction could be a game changer. It would ratchet up the threat of prosecution, potentially deterring bad actors who might otherwise be tempted to target power generators. The International Criminal Court said a desire to stop further attacks prompted it to unseal the warrants for General Kobylash and Admiral Sokolov. The hope is that field officers directing missiles and drones may think twice before they order these kinds of attacks in the future.

While Mr. Putin may never face consequences for plunging Ukraine into darkness, General Kobylash and Admiral Sokolov may never leave Russia, for fear of being picked up outside its borders to face trial. If they do, a reckoning could yet lie ahead for those who would thrust civilians into darkness. Prosecutors who pursue war criminals can keep hunting for decades.

Peter Fairley is a journalist who has covered power technology and policy for over 20 years.

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