cheer on

Idioms

Encourage, as in The crowd was cheering on all the marathon runners. Originating in the 1400s simply as cheer, this usage was augmented by on in the early 1800s.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When the team travels for meets away from home, the Reeses often follow to cheer on the Bruins.

From Los Angeles Times

After surging by more than 60% last year, its Hong Kong-listed shares have risen an additional 17% in 2026 as investors cheer on its restructuring plans.

From The Wall Street Journal

Thousands of supporters are expected to travel to the US to cheer on Steve Clarke's side after the men's national team qualified for the first time since 1998.

From BBC

As part of her response, Colón made sure Tribune readers knew she was leading a delegation from SafeSport to cheer on U.S. athletes at the Olympics.

From Salon

Despite the relentless snowfall, fans poured in and lined the course to cheer on the athletes at the nearly sold-out event with much intrigue surrounding the sport's inaugural Olympic appearance.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023