bolster

noun

bol·ster | \ˈbōl-stər

Definition of bolster

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a long pillow or cushion

2 : a structural part designed to eliminate friction or provide support or bearing (see bearing sense 5)

bolster

verb

bolstered; bolstering\ˈbōl-st(ə-)riŋ

Definition of bolster (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to support with or as if with a bolster : reinforce lay bolstered up in bed extra men will bolster already augmented dock details— Stanley Levey

2 : to give a boost to news that bolstered his spirits

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Examples of bolster in a Sentence

Verb

She came with me to bolster my confidence. a convincing argument that was bolstered by the speaker's reputation She is thinking of ways to bolster her career.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The interior was striking, with black square-quilted seat inserts, contrast stitching and piping on the bolsters, plush door panels in brown, and wood on the dash and center stack. — Emma Jayne Williams, star-telegram, "Nissan Armada full-size SUV has plentyof room for the family, lots of technology," 17 June 2018 The flatter, rectangular bolsters are more comfortable to lie on for restorative poses. — Julie Brown, Outside Online, "The Ultimate Stay-at-Home Yoga Kit," 6 June 2018 Cloth seats are available in ash (mine, black bolsters with ash contrast stitching) or black. — Emma Jayne Williams, star-telegram, "Toyota introduces new Adventure modelto the lineup of its 2018 RAV4 crossover," 23 June 2018 The black interior gets matching orange seat inserts, seat belts and knee bolsters. — Jeff Yip, Houston Chronicle, "Big boys’ toys: Camaro special edition pays tribute to iconic Hot Wheels," 9 June 2018 Meanwhile, Myers billed himself as a leader who would bring much needed transparency to the department as well as bolster relationships between deputies and community members. — Lyndsay Winkley, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Gore leading sheriff's race in early returns," 5 June 2018 MGM Resorts International The $850 million acquisition of Empire City at Yonkers Raceway’s race track and casino bolsters MGM’s presence on the East Coast and, in particular, in the Northeast. — Kenneth R. Gosselin, courant.com, "MGM To Buy New York Casino But Remains Committed To Developing Bridgeport Venue," 29 May 2018 The seats have side bolsters, as any fast car should. — Russ Mitchell, latimes.com, "New wagons from Volvo and Jaguar offer agile alternatives to the lumbering SUV," 25 May 2018 Air-cell bladders in the seatback and width-adjusting bolsters offered optimal support and comfort. — Emma Jayne Williams, star-telegram, "Kia’s all-new 2018 Stinger sport sedan offers premium features, performance | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 12 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

In addition, another new study bolsters that finding. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Study: It only takes a few seconds for bots to spread misinformation," 21 Nov. 2018 Germany bolstered its capacity to block foreign takeovers last year, after an outcry over the $5 billion purchase of Kuka AG by China’s Midea Group in 2016. — Emre Peker, WSJ, "EU to Step Up Review of Foreign Investments," 20 Nov. 2018 Some of those games came to consoles as well, and Microsoft’s undoubtedly looking to bolster its Xbox lineup with InXile and Obsidian titles. — Hayden Dingman, PCWorld, "Microsoft acquires CRPG heavyweights Obsidian and InXile," 10 Nov. 2018 Her win bolsters the ranks of women in governorships across the country, an office where they are currently underrepresented. — Li Zhou, Vox, "Janet Mills becomes Maine’s first woman governor," 7 Nov. 2018 That bolsters the likelihood that the EU fine may be nothing more than a pricey slap on the wrist in the long-run — so long as the fine, which Google is appealing, doesn’t have a substantial impact on Google’s advertising machine. — Nick Statt, The Verge, "Alphabet’s experimental investments in the future continue to cost it a fortune," 23 July 2018 Likewise, teams that are on the fringes or trying to hang onto a playoff spot could look to bolster their chances ahead of everyone else, the way the Washington Nationals did by acquiring reliever Kelvin Herrera a few weeks ago. — Jon Meoli, baltimoresun.com, "It's already July. Where do the Orioles stand on the trade market for their departing stars?," 2 July 2018 That savings will give Golden State options for other moves this summer, as the Warriors look to bolster their bench for a run at what could be a fourth title in a five-year span. — Tim Reynolds, Houston Chronicle, "AP source: Kevin Durant will sign 2-year deal with Warriors," 1 July 2018 Newspaper offices throughout the country have bolstered security after the shooting in Annapolis. — Mark Landler, New York Times, "Condemning Deadly Newsroom Shooting, Trump Tempers Hostility Toward Media," 29 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bolster.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.