supply

To provide something that people need, often regularly.

• This farm supplies fresh milk.
• We supplied the workers with safety equipment.
• Who supplies electricity to your town?

How to use it: supply something to someone/something (The company supplies food to local schools.); supply someone/something with something (They supplied the hospital with clean water.)

Similar words: provide, furnish

Opposites: withhold

Common phrases: supply something to someone, supply someone with something, supply electricity, supply something with fuel

To keep a place or container filled with something it needs.

• Small streams supply the lake.
• Rainwater supplied the underground tank.
• This spring supplies the reservoir throughout summer.

How to use it: supply something with something (The pipe supplies the tank with water.)

Similar words: feed, replenish

Common phrases: supply a reservoir, supply a tank, supply with water

An amount of something kept ready to use when needed.

• We have a small supply of rice.
• Our water supply lasted three days.
• Is there a fresh supply of paper?

How to use it: a supply of something (Keep a supply of clean water nearby.)

Similar words: stock, reserve

Common phrases: supply of something, water supply, limited supply

Food, equipment, and other things people need for work, travel, or daily life.

• We packed supplies for the trip.
• The hospital needs more medical supplies.
• They sent food and other supplies to the village.

Similar words: provisions

Common phrases: medical supply, school supply, supply store, food supply

The process or system of getting needed goods or services to people.

• The storm interrupted the supply of electricity.
• Better roads improved the supply of food.
• Engineers restored the gas supply overnight.

How to use it: the supply of something (The strike affected the supply of fuel.)

Similar words: provision, delivery

Common phrases: supply of something, supply chain, supply network

Money approved by a parliament for the government to spend.

• Parliament voted supply for the coming year.
• The committee examined the supply bill.
• Members refused to grant supply to the government.

Similar words: appropriation

Common phrases: vote supply, grant supply, supply bill

In a way that bends easily and moves smoothly.

• The dancer bent supply at the waist.
• Her arms moved supply through the air.
• The branch curved supply beneath the snow.

Similar words: flexibly, supplely

Opposites: stiffly

Common phrases: move supply, bend supply, supply curved