bul·wark
ˈbu̇l-(ˌ)wərk 
-ˌwȯrk;
ˈbəl-(ˌ)wərk;
sense 3 also ˈbə-ˌläk
1
a
: a solid wall-like structure raised for defense : rampart
b
: breakwater, seawall
building a bulwark in the harbor
2
: a strong support or protection
democratic principles that stand as a bulwark against tyranny
a bulwark of freedom
3
nautical
: the side of a ship above the upper deck
—usually used in plural
bulwarked; bulwarking; bulwarks
: to fortify or safeguard with a bulwark
ability to bulwark a moral choice—
Margaret Mead
Margaret MeadSynonyms
Examples of bulwark in a Sentence
Noun
democratic principles that stand as a bulwark against tyranny
Verb
vowed to use any means necessary to bulwark the country against a terrorist attack
Recent Examples on the WebAnshel Pfeffer, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2024
In Chinese culture but also globally, real estate constitutes the bulwark of household wealth.
—Milton Ezrati, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
If the 5th Circuit’s decision is allowed to stand, the FDA’s role as bulwark against snake oil will be grievously undermined.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024
These measures concentrate power in the hands of the executive, chipping away at other democratic institutions, such as Congress and the judiciary, that are critical bulwarks against governmental abuse.
—Gustavo Flores-Macías, Foreign Affairs, 20 Mar. 2024
Alliances that were once seen as the bulwark of the Cold War are now viewed as an outdated albatross by a significant segment of the American public that Mr. Trump appeals to.
—Peter Baker, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2024
The sprawling aft deck sports fold-out bulwark platforms for additional space and a Jet Ski garage that doubles as a sun pad.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 6 Feb. 2024
Yet the final bulwark, or the hardest power the U.S. must deploy, is military force to ensure global trade is not disrupted.
—Tiana Lowe Doescher, Washington Examiner, 12 Jan. 2024
Proxy fights can be unpredictable, so having an activist supporting the company can serve as a bulwark against the outsiders.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024
John Hopewell, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024
That prompted senior sales agents to suggest that the traditional sales model, bulwarked on the strength of ancillary sales to TV in Europe, haS now broken.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 18 Nov. 2023
But this was probably the draft Chicago needed to bulwark a talent-deficient roster around QB Justin Fields – and don't forget the package from Carolina for the No. 1 pick also brought WR1 Moore, who's under contract for three more years.
—Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 30 Apr. 2023
The Arizona Cardinals, having traded down from the third pick to the 11th, then traded back up to the sixth pick, selecting Ohio State offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. to bulwark an offensive line ravaged by injuries in 2022.
—Mike Tanier, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2023
And bulwarking a defense that hasn't ranked better than 22nd since 2018 is long overdue.
—Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2023
Presidential blue-ribbon panels bulwarked the Social Security program in 1983 and overhauled NASA’s space shuttle program after the 1986 Challenger disaster.
—The Editors, Scientific American, 24 Feb. 2023
In other wildlife news, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is hiring its first-ever beaver restoration unit, which will work with beavers to help bulwark natural systems against climate change, Nathan Solis writes.
—Sammy Rothstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2022
The goal is to bulwark oil and gas against ambitious climate change policies by claiming the moral high ground — even as those fuels kindle a global crisis that disproportionately harms people who aren’t white.
—Los Angeles Times, 24 Nov. 2020
Noun
Many view this gambit as extraordinarily damaging to Israel’s most crucial alliance—the relationship with the United States is the very bulwark of its security.
—Anshel Pfeffer, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2024
In Chinese culture but also globally, real estate constitutes the bulwark of household wealth.
—Milton Ezrati, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
If the 5th Circuit’s decision is allowed to stand, the FDA’s role as bulwark against snake oil will be grievously undermined.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024
These measures concentrate power in the hands of the executive, chipping away at other democratic institutions, such as Congress and the judiciary, that are critical bulwarks against governmental abuse.
—Gustavo Flores-Macías, Foreign Affairs, 20 Mar. 2024
Alliances that were once seen as the bulwark of the Cold War are now viewed as an outdated albatross by a significant segment of the American public that Mr. Trump appeals to.
—Peter Baker, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2024
The sprawling aft deck sports fold-out bulwark platforms for additional space and a Jet Ski garage that doubles as a sun pad.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 6 Feb. 2024
Yet the final bulwark, or the hardest power the U.S. must deploy, is military force to ensure global trade is not disrupted.
—Tiana Lowe Doescher, Washington Examiner, 12 Jan. 2024
Proxy fights can be unpredictable, so having an activist supporting the company can serve as a bulwark against the outsiders.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024
Verb
What a MipTV swan song, bulwarked by Canneseries, can deliver, is another question.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024
That prompted senior sales agents to suggest that the traditional sales model, bulwarked on the strength of ancillary sales to TV in Europe, haS now broken.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 18 Nov. 2023
But this was probably the draft Chicago needed to bulwark a talent-deficient roster around QB Justin Fields – and don't forget the package from Carolina for the No. 1 pick also brought WR1 Moore, who's under contract for three more years.
—Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 30 Apr. 2023
The Arizona Cardinals, having traded down from the third pick to the 11th, then traded back up to the sixth pick, selecting Ohio State offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. to bulwark an offensive line ravaged by injuries in 2022.
—Mike Tanier, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2023
And bulwarking a defense that hasn't ranked better than 22nd since 2018 is long overdue.
—Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2023
Presidential blue-ribbon panels bulwarked the Social Security program in 1983 and overhauled NASA’s space shuttle program after the 1986 Challenger disaster.
—The Editors, Scientific American, 24 Feb. 2023
In other wildlife news, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is hiring its first-ever beaver restoration unit, which will work with beavers to help bulwark natural systems against climate change, Nathan Solis writes.
—Sammy Rothstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2022
The goal is to bulwark oil and gas against ambitious climate change policies by claiming the moral high ground — even as those fuels kindle a global crisis that disproportionately harms people who aren’t white.
—Los Angeles Times, 24 Nov. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bulwark.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Bulwark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bulwark. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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