Illustration of flying buttress
flying buttress
noun
: a masonry structure that typically consists of a straight inclined bar carried on an arch and a solid pier or buttress against which it abuts and that receives the thrust of a roof or vault
Examples of flying buttress in a Sentence
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Back in town, inside Palma’s majestic Gothic landmark La Seu, spellbinding rainbows of color flooded down on the nave, and flying buttresses exquisitely embellished the walkable roof terrace.
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Norma Meyer, Oc Register, 27 May 2026
Over the next five years restoration will extend to the three great rose windows of the west, north, and south façades, the flying buttresses of the nave, the west façade towers, and the windows of the nave tribune as well as the choir chapels.
—Michael T. Davis, The New York Review of Books, 23 May 2026
Designed to offer vertical and lateral reinforcement, flying buttresses enable the force exerted by the roof and walls to be offloaded from the upper wall section to the ground.
—Kristin Shaw, ArsTechnica, 20 May 2026
Common traits include pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and flying buttresses, all of which enabled the structures to be built taller and stronger.
—Stefanie Waldek, Architectural Digest, 9 Jan. 2026
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Norma Meyer, Oc Register, 27 May 2026
Over the next five years restoration will extend to the three great rose windows of the west, north, and south façades, the flying buttresses of the nave, the west façade towers, and the windows of the nave tribune as well as the choir chapels.
—Michael T. Davis, The New York Review of Books, 23 May 2026
Designed to offer vertical and lateral reinforcement, flying buttresses enable the force exerted by the roof and walls to be offloaded from the upper wall section to the ground.
—Kristin Shaw, ArsTechnica, 20 May 2026
Common traits include pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and flying buttresses, all of which enabled the structures to be built taller and stronger.
—Stefanie Waldek, Architectural Digest, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flying buttress
Cite this Entry
“Flying buttress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flying%20buttress. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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