1
as in sustained
to hold up or serve as a foundation for
used additional beams to bolster the ceiling
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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Recent Examples of bolstered
Sealy impressed with three blocks and bolstered what would have been a six-player rotation -- without Knox and Wagner -- to seven.
—
Matt Byrne, Arkansas Online, 9 Feb. 2026
The introductions of Ruben Dias and Rayan Cherki bolstered City, whereas Slot was slow to take off the ineffective Cody Gakpo, with Jones still waiting to be introduced when the visitors equalised.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Bolding’s personal move to prioritize her life differently is what took her out of New York City and, bolstered by a romantic relationship, to Connecticut.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 8 Feb. 2026
And while Bulls fans should feel bolstered that the front office has finally — finally — taken a new approach to roster construction, the execution of the next rebuild stage leaves little margin for error.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
The series is bolstered by bloody good action and a fun infusion of absurdist humor, but Campbell's go-for-broke performance is the real highlight.
—Sammi Burke, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Feb. 2026
The two-deep should be bolstered by the Luniewski twins, who will challenge to start, along with Lawrence, Montgomery and Jones, among others.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
Despite industry troubles, Coca-Cola’s juice category gained market share last quarter bolstered by zero sugar flavors, per its latest earnings report.
—Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, two crown jewels in the American repertoire, would not exist without Petipa’s original stagings; meanwhile, Russian ballet was bolstered by American influence, becoming more technically adventurous and less self-contained.
—Sara Krolewski, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
Matt Byrne, Arkansas Online, 9 Feb. 2026
The introductions of Ruben Dias and Rayan Cherki bolstered City, whereas Slot was slow to take off the ineffective Cody Gakpo, with Jones still waiting to be introduced when the visitors equalised.
—James Pearce, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Bolding’s personal move to prioritize her life differently is what took her out of New York City and, bolstered by a romantic relationship, to Connecticut.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 8 Feb. 2026
And while Bulls fans should feel bolstered that the front office has finally — finally — taken a new approach to roster construction, the execution of the next rebuild stage leaves little margin for error.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
The series is bolstered by bloody good action and a fun infusion of absurdist humor, but Campbell's go-for-broke performance is the real highlight.
—Sammi Burke, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Feb. 2026
The two-deep should be bolstered by the Luniewski twins, who will challenge to start, along with Lawrence, Montgomery and Jones, among others.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
Despite industry troubles, Coca-Cola’s juice category gained market share last quarter bolstered by zero sugar flavors, per its latest earnings report.
—Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, two crown jewels in the American repertoire, would not exist without Petipa’s original stagings; meanwhile, Russian ballet was bolstered by American influence, becoming more technically adventurous and less self-contained.
—Sara Krolewski, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bolstered
Verb
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No information on the type of accident or injuries sustained by Kenworthy was available, according to Soviar.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Feb. 2026
-
In 2018, Vonn tore the LCL in her left knee and sustained three fractures in the same leg after a crash during training, and the next year announced her retirement.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But the slow drip of revelations has reinforced a perception that power protects itself and that ordinary citizens live under a different standard.—
Kaitlyn Buss,
Boston Herald,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Other concerns have now been reinforced in court.—
Natalie Leticia Gallón,
Miami Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Ratti carried the torch for a portion of its journey through Turin in January.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
6 Feb. 2026
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This week Dogg was one of the torchbearers for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics and carried the flame on Wednesday in Gallarate, a town in the Milanese suburbs.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The editorial strategy, Cheney said, is supported by a social media presence designed to work in tandem with the reporting.—
Thomas Waller,
Footwear News,
10 Feb. 2026
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The State Marketplace Network, a collective of 22 state marketplaces supported by the National Academy for State Health Policy, said initial enrollment figures raise concern.—
Julie Appleby,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Idaho Supreme Court upheld Idaho’s $50 million tax credit program that directs public money toward private schools and homeschooling expenses.—
Becca Savransky,
Idaho Statesman,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Belief in the Supreme Court’s authority is largely shared across the aisle, with 76 percent of Republicans, 90 percent of Democrats and 79 percent of independents agreeing that its judicial authority should be upheld.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bolstered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bolstered. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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