(v. t.) To furnish with a champion; to attend or defend as champion; to support or maintain; to protect.

A per se Maecenas Olympic medal winner abettor ace admirer advocate aficionado allege in support alter ego alternate amicus curiae angel answer apologete apologist apologizer arch argue for arm armor assert attorney award winner back back up backer backstop backup backup man bang-up banner battle best bless blue-ribbon boss buff campaigner capital cardinal central champ chief choice chosen cloak combatant commander compass about conquering hero conqueror conquistador contend contend for copyright counter cover cream crowning cushion dandy dean defeater defend defender dependence deputy distinguished dominant dummy easy winner elect elite encourager endorser ensure espouse executive officer exponent expounder fan fat favorer fence fend fight for fighter figurehead first flank flower focal for the best foremost forward friend at court fugleman genius get behind get in behind great greatest guarantee guard guard against guardian handpicked harbor haven head headmost hegemonic hero higher-up illustrious insure justifier keep keep from harm laureate leader leading lieutenant locum locum tenens lover magisterial main mainstay maintain maintainer make a plea make safe master matchless medalist nestle nonesuch nonpareil optimal optimum outstanding overruling paladin pancratiast paragon paramount paranymph partisan patent patron patroness peerless pick picked pillar pinch hitter plead for pleader police predominant preeminent premier preponderant prevailing primal primary prime principal prize prizeman prizetaker prizewinner procurator prodigy promote promoter proponent protagonist protect protector protectress proxy queen quintessence quintessential ranking rebut refute register reliance reply representative respond ride shotgun for riposte rock ruler ruling run interference for runner-up safeguard safekeeper say in defense screen second second in command secondary seconder sectary secure select senior shelter shield shoo-in shroud side with sider sovereign speak for speak up for splendid sponsor stalwart stand back of stand behind stand by stand up for stand-in standby star stellar stick by stick up for subduer subjugator substitute successful advocate supereminent superior superlative superman superstar support supporter supreme sure winner surpassing surrogate sustain sustainer sympathizer