1
as in sustaining
to hold up or serve as a foundation for
a brace buttressed the wall
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in reinforcing
to provide evidence or information for (as a claim or idea)
a mass of circumstantial evidence buttresses the prosecutor's case
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of buttressing
Veteran starter Lucas Giolito joined the organization last week, buttressing a shallow rotation.
—
Dennis Lin, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
The competition with China will hinge not on mimicking Beijing’s methods but on buttressing the core strengths of the United States.
—Lael Brainard, Foreign Affairs, 10 Nov. 2025
Traffic among higher-income shoppers has grown, Kempczinski added, buttressing the company’s revenue.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2025
The upstream glaciers, now without their buttressing support, flow faster toward the sea.
—Evan Howell, Quanta Magazine, 20 Oct. 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
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.
—Andrea Long Chu, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2025
Dennis Lin, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
The competition with China will hinge not on mimicking Beijing’s methods but on buttressing the core strengths of the United States.
—Lael Brainard, Foreign Affairs, 10 Nov. 2025
Traffic among higher-income shoppers has grown, Kempczinski added, buttressing the company’s revenue.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2025
The upstream glaciers, now without their buttressing support, flow faster toward the sea.
—Evan Howell, Quanta Magazine, 20 Oct. 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
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.
—Andrea Long Chu, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buttressing
Verb
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Four people were listed in critical condition and two suffered minor injuries after sustaining stab wounds or cuts, a spokeswoman for the Tacoma Fire Department said earlier on Thursday, AP reported.—
KC Baker,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
-
Colbert converted from safety to linebacker last season and excelled on special teams before sustaining a season-ending injury in the second half of the year.—
Omar Kelly
May 1,
Miami Herald,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
This begins with reinforcing clear policies that protect student access to education regardless of immigration status, while expanding counseling, legal resource referrals and family outreach to address fear and confusion related to immigration enforcement.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
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Following the downfall of Zhang and his lieutenant in January, an editorial published by the official PLA Daily newspaper accused the two former military leaders of undermining Xi’s ultimate authority while also reinforcing Xi’s message of zero-tolerance on corruption.—
Steven Jiang,
CNN Money,
7 May 2026
Verb
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The Barnstable Brown Gala, held annually ahead of the Kentucky Derby, is known for drawing celebrities and high-profile guests while supporting charitable causes.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 May 2026
-
Israel’s far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, one of several key cabinet ministers with close ties in the settler community, has been explicit about his goal of annexing the West Bank and supporting settler expansion.—
Molly Hunter,
NBC news,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
The government has thrown a lot of money at bolstering security for the Jewish population.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
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The Iran war is bolstering that argument even more.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Jones was arrested on charges of possession of an assault weapon, possession of a large capacity magazine, carrying a pistol without a permit and interfering with an officer.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
1 May 2026
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The Spaniard left hurriedly, carrying a frown that owed to a sense of injustice.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
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The weight of internal expectations and upholding the responsibility to the team is already enough pressure to push an NBA player to their breaking point.—
Jared Weiss,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
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Trump is counting on the justices to reject the discrimination charge as a majority did in 2018 when upholding his immigration travel ban against predominantly Muslim countries.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Buttressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buttressing. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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