Synonyms of cushion

cushion 1 of 2

noun

ˈku̇-shən 

as in buffer

something that serves as a protective barrier

used a blanket as a cushion between the two tables in the moving van

Synonyms & Similar Words

• buffer
• pad
• shield
• bumper
• fender
• cushioning
• cocoon
• padding
• barricade
• safeguard
• baffle
• muffler
• cordon

cushion

2 of 2

verb

as in to soften

to lessen the shock of

a substantial nest egg helped to cushion the sudden loss of her job

Synonyms & Similar Words

• soften
• buffer
• mitigate
• alleviate
• gentle
• temper
• dull
• moderate
• relieve
• modulate
• dampen
• baffle
• deaden
• obtund
• ease
• lighten
• allay
• assuage

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• intensify
• sharpen
• heighten

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of cushion

Noun

With consecutive road games in Minnesota and Boston upcoming, the Hornets will need somewhat of a cushion to be able to hang with the likes of the Magic and Heat during the season’s last week prior to the regular-season finale in New York against the Knicks on April 12. —Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 1 Apr. 2026

While the chair doesn’t come with a throw pillow, the deep seat offers plenty of space to add a small cushion or throw blanket for a decorative pop of color. —Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 2026

Verb

That is nearly four months of its overall seaborne crude imports, which cushion short term impacts from the war. —ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026

As rising global oil prices began seeping into the domestic economy, China raised the ceiling prices for retail gasoline and diesel earlier this week but limited the increase to about half the usual adjustment to cushion the impact on consumers. —Anniek Bao, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026