root for

verb

rooted for; rooting for; roots for
Synonyms of root fornext
: to express or show support for (a person, a team, etc.) : to hope for the success of (someone or something)
They always root for the home team.
Good luck on your upcoming show. Remember that we're all rooting for you.

Examples of root for in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But the sensuality vibing between Elinor and Ferrars between meetings both furtive and not offers at least one romantic pairing to root for. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2026 Nikki and Brie Bella will be backing the Eagles and LA Knight will be rooting for the Commanders, according to the release. — Ryan Gaydos Outkick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026 Chinese fans – most of whom had been rooting for Djokovic throughout the match – were trying to figure out what had happened. — Patrick Sung Cuadrado, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026 This new iteration gets far closer to the roots for a more natural finish. — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for root for

Rhymes for root for

See All Rhymes for root for

Browse Nearby Words

root fly
root for
root fungus
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Root for.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/root%20for. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All