building block

noun

Definition of building block

: a unit of construction or composition especially : something essential on which a larger entity is based

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about building block

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Synonyms & Antonyms for building block

Synonyms

component, constituent, element, factor, ingredient, member

Antonyms

whole

Examples of building block in a Sentence

historically the infantry division has been a basic building block of armies

Recent Examples on the Web

With building blocks around every corner, there are lampposts shaped like Tinkertoys and benches built from Lincoln Logs and K’nex pieces. — Shelley Caran, ajc, "Everything you need to know about Toy Story Land at Disney's Hollywood Studios," 29 June 2018 Soy and coconut aminos include building blocks like tryptophan and arginine that are essential to the formation of muscles and that supposedly remove toxins from our bodies. — Kyle Beechey, Bon Appetit, "The Mysterious Hippie Food Brand That's Never Let Me Down," 27 June 2018 Those two figure to be building blocks for the program. — Orion Sang, Detroit Free Press, "Big Ten power rankings: Why Michigan State is better than Michigan," 27 June 2018 Finding a permanent arena at Belmont Park and ownership hiring three-time Cup-winning Lamoriello were seen as building blocks to trying to re-sign Tavares. — Stephen Whyno, chicagotribune.com, "Islanders hire Stanley Cup-winner Barry Trotz as coach," 21 June 2018 The scientists found that a proton’s building block, known as a quark, faces a pressure of 100 decillion Pascal near the center of a proton. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Pressures Inside a Proton Are More Extreme Than Inside a Neutron Star," 17 May 2018 Portugal uses couples as building blocks for his designs. — Lawrence Toppman, charlotteobserver, "REVIEW: Don't dawdle at 'Spring Works' intermission or you'll miss some of the heat ... | Charlotte Observer," 26 Apr. 2018 This fluid holds heavy water, whose hydrogen atoms have a neutron along with a proton, as well as two molecules that serve as building blocks for proteins and whose nitrogen atoms hold an extra neutron. — Amina Khan, latimes.com, "A search for some of Earth’s most extreme creatures in the West Coast's deepest underwater canyon," 20 Apr. 2018 Last week: 24 Josh Jackson and Dragan Bender, two building blocks on Phoenix's roster, put together two of the best games of their young careers in Sunday's win over Oklahoma City. — Aj Neuharth-keusch, USA TODAY, "Week 12 NBA power rankings: Are Raptors legitimate Eastern Conference contenders?," 8 Jan. 2018

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