1
as in sustaining
to hold up or serve as a foundation for
used additional beams to bolster the ceiling
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in reinforcing
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 bolstering
After a wholly inactive offseason outside of the draft, Golden State is bolstering its rotation with not a moment to spare until training camp.
—
Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Sep. 2025
Certain young players continued to stand out, bolstering their case.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
The Miami Heat is bringing back a familiar face in hopes of bolstering its frontcourt depth.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2025
Also bolstering the stock is the release of Google's Nano Banana image-editing feature, which drove a clear uptick in Gemini AI app usage in recent weeks , and an acceleration in Google Cloud growth.
—Pia Singh, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2025
India, for its part, did not want to fret about the prospect of further clashes along the border and instead wanted to focus on boosting its economic growth and bolstering Indian capabilities for the larger competition with China.
—Tanvi Madan, Foreign Affairs, 24 Sep. 2025
Big Time Fund operates as part of an initiative supported by Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, and invests in entertainment projects aimed at bolstering the country’s creative economy and amplifying Arab storytelling.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2025
The development comes as a US Congress delegation is in Beijing for talks aimed at bolstering bilateral exchanges including military-to-military communication, in the first such visit to China in six years.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2025
The focus on infrastructure and manufacturing will create hundreds of thousands of jobs with the goal of bolstering the capacity for domestic production, the administration said.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 22 Sep. 2025
Alex Kirschenbaum, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Sep. 2025
Certain young players continued to stand out, bolstering their case.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
The Miami Heat is bringing back a familiar face in hopes of bolstering its frontcourt depth.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2025
Also bolstering the stock is the release of Google's Nano Banana image-editing feature, which drove a clear uptick in Gemini AI app usage in recent weeks , and an acceleration in Google Cloud growth.
—Pia Singh, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2025
India, for its part, did not want to fret about the prospect of further clashes along the border and instead wanted to focus on boosting its economic growth and bolstering Indian capabilities for the larger competition with China.
—Tanvi Madan, Foreign Affairs, 24 Sep. 2025
Big Time Fund operates as part of an initiative supported by Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, and invests in entertainment projects aimed at bolstering the country’s creative economy and amplifying Arab storytelling.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2025
The development comes as a US Congress delegation is in Beijing for talks aimed at bolstering bilateral exchanges including military-to-military communication, in the first such visit to China in six years.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2025
The focus on infrastructure and manufacturing will create hundreds of thousands of jobs with the goal of bolstering the capacity for domestic production, the administration said.
—Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bolstering
Verb
-
DeBoer and his staff spent the offseason preaching the importance of sustaining everything — every game, every drive, every play.—
Matt Baker,
New York Times,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Birdville answered, with its offense sustaining its best drive of the night with big pass plays from Zach Wells and steady running from Christian Kargbo.—
Jordan Neal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
And, of course, vice versa, reinforcing the disparity for those in peripheral locations.—
Sarah Maokosy,
Fortune,
4 Oct. 2025
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Each item is intimately tied to the library space, reinforcing Assouline’s belief that a library is not merely a room but a sanctuary for ideas, aesthetics, and meaningful objects.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Beautiful clean coal has been a reliable energy source supporting American communities and economic growth for generations.—
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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Since winning the primary in June, Mamdani has taken steps to come toward moderate voters who have been lukewarm in supporting him.—
Amie Parnes,
The Hill,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The suspect, Jihad Al-Shamie, was not carrying a firearm and the only shots fired were by responding law enforcement officers, Watson said.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Amato cautioned that even if the method works, carrying a pregnancy at an advanced age poses significant health risks.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Many of these regional partners are also building up their own advanced force projection capabilities and working more closely with Taipei on upholding freedom of navigation and maritime security.—
PHILIP H. GORDON,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Sep. 2025
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Kobick later said her ruling stood on independent grounds that remain intact in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision upholding Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors.—
Zach Schonfeld,
The Hill,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But staying relevant in the digital landscape, especially as AI enters the mix, is a must.—
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel,
jsonline.com,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Jovic’s challenge this season is staying healthy and carving out a consistent role in the Heat’s rotation after beginning last season as a starter, then being completely moved out of the rotation, and ultimately thriving in a sixth man role off the bench during the back half of the season.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bolstering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bolstering. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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