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 last act before festival founder Olivia Rodrigo, Roan turned it out with all of her powers—bolstered by a bold and bitchy, razor-sharp bob. Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 30 Aug. 2026 To do that, construction crews bolstered the temple’s thick granite walls with vertical cables running from the towers to its base. Brandon Griggs, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026 Analysts have said the study’s outcome bolstered the case that stabilizers, which are oral drugs, were perhaps superior to injectable silencers. Andrew Joseph, STAT, 28 Aug. 2026 The gain was bolstered by a 45 percent increase in the company’s AI Cloud and Compute businesses. Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 24 Aug. 2026 From 1970 to 1980, its membership increased eightfold, to more than 700,000—bolstered by a push to include low-level sales associates in its membership and a rush of women joining. Michael Waters, The Atlantic, 22 Aug. 2026 But that process would take years, and during the musicians’ time in the Soviet Union in 1985, Goldberg says they were bolstered by the refuseniks and their resistance against the regime. Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026 Michigan State bolstered its athletic department with a $401 million contribution that included an investment in its own Spartan Ventures. James Pollard, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026 Chaminade-Madonna bolstered its backfield by adding senior running back and Purdue commit Amos Bradford from West Broward and junior quarterback Brady Quinn from Naples Lely. Gary Curreri, Sun Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bolstered
Verb
  • The woman was able to leave the residence before officers arrived and was later taken to Aurora Medical Center in Burlington for injuries sustained in the assault.
    Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Absent new domestic discoveries of the scale and accessibility needed to replace them, overall production could not be sustained.
    David Blackmon, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The quarter reinforced our view that AI is a major tailwind for cybersecurity.
    Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Leeds, their defence reinforced by the arrival of Tarik Muharemovic, look like a tough nut to crack.
    Oliver Kay, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Several heavy explosions shook Kuhestak, with fireballs that lighted up the night sky, according to security camera recordings carried by the semiofficial news agency Fars.
    David Rising, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The ideas that traveled furthest were carried by story rather than analysis.
    Bryan Adams, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Silicon Labs has opened a new research and development laboratory for advanced chip design and testing at its Austin headquarters, supported in part by a $23 million grant from the Texas Semiconductor Innovation Fund.
    Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Traditional Republicans who have supported, or at least gone along with, the party’s attacks on Muslims and immigrants and its rejection of democratic norms have spoken out against cracking the door open for anti-Semites.
    Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The Supreme Court upheld the IRS’ decision to deny the school its exemption.
    Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The Missouri Court of Appeals Western District upheld Yust’s convictions in August 2023, and the Missouri Supreme Court later denied his application to transfer the case for review.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Bolstered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bolstered. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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