bolstered

verb

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

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

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 Expectations that the election outcome could keep a lid on excessive government borrowing and spending bolstered US government bonds, sending yields lower. — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2026 Meanwhile, a dedicated decompression room — inaugurated last year as part of a broader festival focus on mental health — will be bolstered by an Agora discussion on the importance of resolving conflict in creative collaborations. — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 4 Nov. 2026 Ukraine’s general staff said Monday that Russia’s military had bolstered its drone defenses and replenished ammunition supplies in the area during the ceasefire. — ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026 The performance wing, in particular, was bolstered by a double-digit uplift in running, training, and football. — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2026 Trump’s support has bolstered Putin’s belief that time is on his side. — Michael McFaul, Foreign Affairs, 27 Oct. 2026 Valadao, bolstered by donations from Republican political action committees, maintains a substantial fundraising advantage. — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 26 Oct. 2026 However, amid the ongoing troubles, the international side of the Netflix business has quietly bolstered its reputation. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2026 That was bolstered by the fact premium beauty is the most dynamic beauty segment in the Chinese market. — Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bolstered
  1. sustained
  2. reinforced
  3. carried
  4. supported
  5. upheld
Verb
  • Right now, there’s a rare window where demand exceeds supply, premiums are sustained and farmers are ready to transition but lack access to the technical support, market certainty and transition funding that bridge conventional to viable economics.
    — Jeff Tkach, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Jeff Stotts, an athletic trainer who runs a site that tracks sports injuries, wrote that since 2005, just one player had sustained a torn labrum like Wallace’s and returned later that season.
    — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of sustained
Verb
  • Our work on leadership and technology in sport, including our intention to create a future book on that subject, has reinforced our interest in this question.
    — Rick Burton, Sportico.com, 5 Nov. 2026
  • On the one hand, this shows just how strongly officers accept the principle of civilian control—a posture reinforced precisely because Hegseth has proved willing to punish even unsupported allegations of military insubordination.
    — Peter D. Feaver, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of reinforced
Verb
  • The vehicle carried no nuclear warhead during the demonstration.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Ossoff, 39, began the cycle as a top Republican target and the only Senate Democrat running for reelection in a state Trump carried in 2024.
    — Bill Barrow, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of carried
Verb
  • While many commissioners supported the idea, commission staff said the benchmark was too stringent to employ without understanding how the new sand placement will fare over the next few months or years.
    — Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Lokk is proud that the festival has supported the Estonian, and the broader Baltic, film industry, and vice versa, with films from the region now regularly traveling to big festivals around the globe and winning awards.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of supported
Verb
  • Justice Elena Kagan said that the principle the Supreme Court upheld in a 2022 case involving a Maine tuition-assistance program was that the state cannot treat religious institutions differently.
    — Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The rule of law must be respected, and the valid decisions of courts must be upheld by the government, even, and perhaps most importantly, when that ruling goes against the government.
    — David Baldacci, Vanity Fair, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of upheld

Browse Nearby Words

bolster
bolstered
bolsterer
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Cite this Entry

“Bolstered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bolstered. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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