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
The arrival of 41-year-old Thiago Silva has bolstered the back line further.
—
Jack Lang, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
McLaren hopes to be a contender after Pato O'Ward finished second in the standings last year, and Andretti Global has been bolstered by the addition of former Penske stalwart Will Power and other key hires.
—ABC News, 26 Feb. 2026
These figures are bolstered by an extremely positive outlook for luxury in the region.
—Ritu Upadhyay, Footwear News, 25 Feb. 2026
While this tends to be the case for any Mercury retrograde, those themes are bolstered by the fact that this Mercury retrograde hits your twelfth house of spirituality.
—Maressa Brown, InStyle, 25 Feb. 2026
Barclays’ Manav Patnaik bolstered Anthropic’s view that 2026 could be the year that AI could move to enterprise-wide deployment.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 25 Feb. 2026
In the last year, Davis has named new leaders, bolstered campus safety and reassured faculty that UT would support them amid federal cuts to research.
—Lily Kepner, Austin American Statesman, 24 Feb. 2026
Slickly made with an eye for entertainment, the film is bolstered by the odd-couple energy of its two leads, while also delving into potent themes such as corporate greed and systemic racism.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Feb. 2026
The ad is the first produced and paid for by Stratton’s own campaign, though her candidacy has been bolstered by millions of dollars in ads from an allied political action committee largely funded by Pritzker, the billionaire heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune.
—Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
Jack Lang, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
McLaren hopes to be a contender after Pato O'Ward finished second in the standings last year, and Andretti Global has been bolstered by the addition of former Penske stalwart Will Power and other key hires.
—ABC News, 26 Feb. 2026
These figures are bolstered by an extremely positive outlook for luxury in the region.
—Ritu Upadhyay, Footwear News, 25 Feb. 2026
While this tends to be the case for any Mercury retrograde, those themes are bolstered by the fact that this Mercury retrograde hits your twelfth house of spirituality.
—Maressa Brown, InStyle, 25 Feb. 2026
Barclays’ Manav Patnaik bolstered Anthropic’s view that 2026 could be the year that AI could move to enterprise-wide deployment.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 25 Feb. 2026
In the last year, Davis has named new leaders, bolstered campus safety and reassured faculty that UT would support them amid federal cuts to research.
—Lily Kepner, Austin American Statesman, 24 Feb. 2026
Slickly made with an eye for entertainment, the film is bolstered by the odd-couple energy of its two leads, while also delving into potent themes such as corporate greed and systemic racism.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Feb. 2026
The ad is the first produced and paid for by Stratton’s own campaign, though her candidacy has been bolstered by millions of dollars in ads from an allied political action committee largely funded by Pritzker, the billionaire heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune.
—Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bolstered
Verb
-
The move comes after Crosby sustained a lower-body injury during the Olympic hockey tournament at the Milan Cortina Games.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
The pickup’s driver sustained injuries believed not to be life-threatening and was taken to a hospital.—
Caleb Lunetta,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Bhakta, who grew up in the Texas Panhandle, said the experience reinforced his belief in gun control legislation.—
Emiliano Tahui Gómez,
Austin American Statesman,
1 Mar. 2026
-
The Stretch Zion fabric is known (and highly-reviewed by many) for its durability, and here it’s reinforced with double-layered knees and a relaxed straight leg that moves easily uphill.—
Jessica Chapel,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
They were carried into the harbor by their parachutes.—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Nathan MacKinnon picked up the puck in his own zone and carried it into the offensive end.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Among independents, 28% supported the attack, while 59% opposed it.—
Chantelle Lee,
Time,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Bernier has supported sending the millage extension to voters.—
Steve Patterson,
Florida Times-Union,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Hartsuch appealed, but in October 2025, the Iowa Court of Appeals upheld the district court’s ruling, setting the stage for Hartsuch’s newest lawsuit alleging the board’s actions were unreasonable, violated his rights and destroyed his livelihood.—
Clark Kauffman,
Iowa Capital Dispatch,
28 Feb. 2026
-
The states also warn about harms to funding and other issues if the executive order is upheld by the Supreme Court.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bolstered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bolstered. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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