bolstered

past tense of bolster
1
as in sustained
to hold up or serve as a foundation for used additional beams to bolster the ceiling

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in reinforced
to provide evidence or information for (as a claim or idea) a couple of tournament wins would bolster the extravagant claims that have been made on behalf of the young golfer

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bolstered Shares of Apple have jumped 26% year to date as the company has enhanced its artificial intelligence and cloud technology integrations and bolstered subscription revenue across its ecosystem. — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026 The absence of Karoline Vitto — who bolstered the curve representation last season in London — was palpably felt. — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2026 The advent of livestreaming e-commerce platforms has only bolstered that proposition. — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 16 Oct. 2026 Midfield offers greater strength in depth, bolstered by the arrivals of Youri Tielemans, Carlos Baleba and Andrey Santos in the summer window. — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026 The original show’s international profile has now been further bolstered by its shoot in Japan, where the series has become such a huge hit that setting part of Season 7 in Tokyo was a natural next step. — Ed Meza, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026 Such moves have been bolstered by tens of billions of dollars in new funding from Congress. — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2026 This retaliatory strategy was bolstered by successful Houthi moves in early September to establish a degree of control over the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb, one of the world’s most important maritime choke points. — Laurent Bonnefoy, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026 Stocks dropped on Wednesday, led by declines in the tech sector, after a hotter-than-expected inflation report bolstered bets that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates further. — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bolstered
Verb
  • The Nordic communal goal is a focus on holistic well-being that can be sustained over the long term by every individual, from professional athletes in their prime to elders.
    — Lola Akinmade, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The stock market is a function of more than presidential politics, as growth in tech stocks has sustained the broader market.
    — Josh Boak, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • And the Starshield throttling — which apparently is still in effect — has doubtless reinforced the nation's desire to control its own satellite-communications infrastructure.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Crews excavated an 8-acre basin in the infield to serve as a holding pond, while contractors rebuilt the culverts under the track and reinforced the road leading into it.
    — Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • During captive-carry testing, engineers can assess equipment carried by an aircraft before proceeding to more demanding flight demonstrations.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The starting five that carried Atlanta to the playoffs last season — Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, CJ McCollum and Onyeka Okongwu — returns.
    — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Historically, the Ford Foundation supported civil rights lawsuits beginning in the late 1960s and helped build public interest law into a field of its own.
    — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Du Halgouët said the region’s performance was supported by retail sales at its own-brand stores, while the company’s focus on higher-value products, particularly leather goods and jewelry, helped cushion the decline.
    — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The court has previously upheld this lethal injection protocol against similar challenges.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The United States upheld the underlying security and economic order that made these offers possible.
    — Claas Mertens, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Bolstered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bolstered. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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