bolster

noun bol·ster \ ˈbōl-stər \

|Updated on: 11 Aug 2018

Examples: bolster in a Sentence

Definition of bolster

1 : a long pillow or cushion

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

See bolster defined for English-language learners

See bolster defined for kids

Recent Examples of bolster from the Web

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
New York wants to start changing that, as well as bolster consumer spending and job creation.

— wes siler, Outside Online, "New York Wants to Get More People Camping—for Free," 26 Apr. 2018
Those front seats are standard on the Regal GS, and come with heating/ventilation/massage features and powered side bolsters and thigh support.

— brian wong, USA TODAY, "Review: Buick Regal GS isn't as princely as it could be," 2 Mar. 2018
As economist Dani Rodrik points out, the media’s trade-war freak-outs bolster Trump’s image as a tough operator on trade, even though nothing substantive is happening.

— david dayen, The New Republic, "Trump’s Theater of Trade," 27 Mar. 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.

Origin and Etymology of bolster

Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old English belg bag — more at belly

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

bolster

verb

Definition of bolster

bolstered; bolstering play \-st(ə-)riŋ\

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

—

bolsterer

play \-stər-ər\ noun

See bolster defined for English-language learners

Examples of bolster in a Sentence

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 of bolster from the Web

The recent firming in inflation comes after a long period of tepid growth that had confounded investors and policy makers, who expected the strengthening economy and labor market to bolster prices.

— ben eisen, WSJ, "Investors Bet on Higher Rates as U.S. Inflation Firms," 12 July 2018
The signings of Sokratis and Bernd Leno, in addition to Torreira, appear to have bolstered the defence of the Gunners, who will be aiming to qualify for the Champions League this season.

— SI.com, "Lucas Torreira's Agent Reveals the Clubs Arsenal Beat to Sign Uruguay International," 12 July 2018
Many users have inflated their followers on Twitter or other services with automated or fake accounts, buying the appearance of social influence to bolster their political activism, business endeavors, or entertainment careers.

— BostonGlobe.com, "Battling fake accounts, Twitter to slash millions of followers," 11 July 2018
As a young and untested leader, Sanchez needs to bolster his leadership credentials ahead of the next general election in two years—a difficult task given the Socialists control only one-quarter of Parliament.

— joseph zeballos-roig, The New Republic, "How to Dig Up a Dictator," 11 July 2018
Trump released his initial iteration of the list in 2016 to bolster Republican support for his presidential campaign.

— abigail simon, Time, "President Trump Picked Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court. Who Is He?," 10 July 2018
The country hopes to bolster its own domestic technology industry through strict new information security regulations and investment in domestic suppliers.

— sean gallagher, Ars Technica, "China producing x86 chips nearly identical to AMD server processors," 9 July 2018
The department grasps the role of policing in the current political and social climate, doing its best to bolster relationships, particularly in the black, immigrant and marginalized communities that have been historically oppressed, Moore said.

— steve miletich, The Seattle Times, "‘He’s just a doer’: Meet Seattle police-chief candidate Ely Reyes," 9 July 2018
To bolster sagging gambling revenues, operators of the casino bought the River Ridge trailer park near Rabbit Hash to put in the landing.

— melissa reinert, Cincinnati.com, "Ferry from Rabbit Hash to Rising Sun to be christened this Thursday," 9 July 2018