buttress 1 of 2

1
as in anchor
something or someone to which one looks for support the mother had always been the buttress of our family in trying times

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2

buttress

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to sustain
to hold up or serve as a foundation for a brace buttressed the wall

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2
as in to reinforce
to provide evidence or information for (as a claim or idea) a mass of circumstantial evidence buttresses the prosecutor's case

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of buttress
Noun
The mountains rise up like a curtain wall, crowned by a long buttress of snowfields and ice against the blue sky. Brian Mann, NPR, 24 May 2025 These scans combined with subsequent scans to contribute to a 3D model with detailed representations of the cathedral’s flying buttresses, arches, ribbed vaults, intricate wood carvings and stained glass, guiding the more than $700 million restoration. Ronald Bisio, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
Verb
Goldberg, co-chair of Paramount Pictures and Paramount Television, buttressed Ellison’s pledge to invest in strong family and YA-friendly movies and TV shows. Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 13 Aug. 2025 Any good Marxist can tell you that the ruling class of any nation will frequently make social concessions as a way of buttressing its brute political power with moral credibility. Book Marks august 7, Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for buttress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buttress
Noun
  • After divorcing their previous partners and publicizing their relationship, the ex-GMA3 co-anchors hit many relationship milestones, including moving in together.
    Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
  • The former co-anchors made the decision to marry about a month ago.
    Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Attendance is free with proceeds benefiting the Artisan Alliance at Wishing Spring scholarship, which offers continuing support to high school students who pursue the arts in college.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2025
  • Hoka Rincon 4 One of the most affordable options on our list, the Hoka Rincon 4 has earned high praise from shoppers for its considerable comfort, support, and cushion.
    Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • At some point during the standoff, an officer made entry into the home via a sliding glass door and sustained a laceration on his arm.
    Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Oct. 2025
  • That audience euphoria is welcome to De Luca and Abdy, who are the Hollywood comeback story of the year after sustaining earlier criticism over box office misses.
    Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • As the fireline is constructed, inspected or reinforced, mappers record those details to adjust the containment percentage.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 13 Oct. 2025
  • The results reinforce what many pediatric specialists have long suspected—that too much screen exposure in early childhood may disrupt normal brain development.
    Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Stretching from pillar to pillar, the sculptural element blends the analog with the digital.
    Eileen Falkenberg-Hull, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Fasting, which is one of the five pillars of Islam, is a vital part of Ramadan, the holy period that marks the month when Muslims believe the angel Gabriel first revealed the Quran, Islam’s central religious text, to the Prophet Muhammad.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • HavocAI put together the new round within three months, Lwin said—bolstering the startup’s total funding raised to nearly $100 million since the company launched just last January.
    Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025
  • There is more with Misa and Dickinson, as the Sharks bolstered their lineup with more veterans up front and on defense.
    Eric Stephens, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Maize provides the nutritive backbone to the Three Sisters system, yielding the bulk of the energy and a modest amount of protein.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 14 Oct. 2025
  • The company’s recognition at the Humanoid Robotics Industry Awards signals growing acknowledgment of software infrastructure as the backbone of the next industrial era, where humanoid robots actively learn, adapt, and collaborate.
    Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Douglas, now a tech lead on scaling reinforcement learning at Anthropic, is both a friend and former roommate of Aschenbrenner’s who had conversations with him about the monograph.
    Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Perhaps Hagens will arrive in the spring, but for the most part, reinforcements are not around the corner.
    Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Buttress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buttress. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.

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