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
  • The agency said the father and son sustained injuries and were treated at a local hospital.
    — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Officials warned of heavy rainfall, sustained winds of 25-35 mph and the potential of coastal flooding in New York, with the worst of it expected to occur from Saturday evening into Sunday afternoon.
    — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 25 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The positive response reinforced WindGroove’s vision of bringing home entertainment into the ceiling.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 23 Sep. 2026
  • For this reason, in the summer of 2025, the gates facing Station Road were also reinforced and kept closed.
    — Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 21 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
  • Marshall, a close ally of the president, strongly supported the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and has defended its wide-ranging provisions against criticism from Democratic lawmakers.
    — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The president last year signed an executive order seeking to change a range of museums and landmarks supported by the federal government.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Sep. 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 1 Oct. 2026.

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