building block
noun
: a unit of construction or composition
especially
: something essential on which a larger entity is based
Examples of building block in a Sentence
historically the infantry division has been a basic building block of armies
Recent Examples on the Web
Even as tragedy and struggle beset the tenement districts, the very qualities that defined the tenement’s unfavorable physical conditions—over-crowdedness and density—became building blocks for community.
—
Annie Polland, Time, 25 Sep. 2025
The team created larger 3D structures capable of complex movements by linking unit cells as building blocks.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 19 Sep. 2025
The most basic building block is that water temperatures reach their warmest levels after basking in summer’s heat.
—Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025
And though it may be frowned upon in some contexts, this two-letter, omnipresent filler word is a small but mighty building block of conversation.
—Ayana Archie, NPR, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for building block
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Annie Polland, Time, 25 Sep. 2025
The team created larger 3D structures capable of complex movements by linking unit cells as building blocks.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 19 Sep. 2025
The most basic building block is that water temperatures reach their warmest levels after basking in summer’s heat.
—Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025
And though it may be frowned upon in some contexts, this two-letter, omnipresent filler word is a small but mighty building block of conversation.
—Ayana Archie, NPR, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for building block
Cite this Entry
“Building block.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/building%20block. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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