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 The set’s first-week sales were bolstered by its availability across 16 vinyl variants (one with a bonus track), nine CD variants (one with a bonus track), six download variants (most with bonus tracks) and a cassette. — Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 28 Sep. 2026 The shape, while certainly short, was bolstered by three-dimensional bubbles, some silver, others a turquoise shade. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026 Twenty-one-year-old Kane Parsons is reflecting on a whirlwind summer in which the box office was undoubtedly bolstered by the release of his feature debut, Backrooms. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2026 Her words bolstered Matthews argument, casting doubt on whether the path had in fact been used by the public on a continuous basis sufficient to establish a right-of-way. — Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 21 Sep. 2026 In the 1970s the country rolled out a national immunization program that bolstered uptake nationwide. — Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 18 Sep. 2026 Participants who drank also felt that positive life changes and supportive relationships bolstered their efforts to maintain recovery. — Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026 Months later, new evidence emerged at a grand jury hearing that only bolstered the prosecution’s case. — Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026 In the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, NATO bolstered its presence on Europe’s eastern flank by sending additional multinational battle groups to Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria and Slovakia. — ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bolstered
Verb
  • Then Achane sustained a rib injury in the Jets game and Wright maximized his opportunity, gaining a career-high 107 rushing yards and scoring one rushing touchdown on 24 carries in a 34-10 win over the New York Jets.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Inventory has to be available at the right time, margins have to absorb retailer terms, teams have to support education and marketing, and sell-through has to be sustained beyond the launch.
    — Rhea Cartwright, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Each touchpoint reinforced the others, making Cedars-Sinai’s community investment more visible and accessible while building relationships beyond any single activation.
    — Alvin Stafford, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Our positive thesis on the healthcare services and drug distributor was reinforced on Wednesday by analysts at Leerink after a meeting with the company’s CFO and investor relations team.
    — Jeff Marks, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • For Meyer, who was born and raised in Los Angeles and grew up on the Westside, reopening in the Palisades also carried personal significance.
    — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Trump carried it by roughly 12 percentage points in 2024, and Republican gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears carried it by about 8 points in 2025.
    — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 30 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Since winning the nomination, el Sayed has warmed to Schumer, as having the backing of the centrist wing of the party, which supported Stevens in the primary, will be crucial in taking on Republican nominee Mike Rogers.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The original supply chain and much of the personnel expertise that supported the Blackbird have long since disappeared.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Bardella, Le Pen's protégé, had been waiting in the wings to take her place as the party candidate if the original five-year ban had been upheld.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Bardella, Le Pen’s protégé, had been waiting in the wings to take her place as the party candidate if the original five-year ban had been upheld.
    — John Leicester, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Bolstered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bolstered. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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