BOLSTERING Synonyms: 30 Similar and Opposite Words

bolstering

verb

present participle of bolster

as in sustaining

to hold up or serve as a foundation for used additional beams to bolster the ceiling

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

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 bolstering The United States added 162,000 jobs in August, more than double what a consensus of economists had expected, bolstering confidence that the economy remains on solid footing. — Laurent Belsie, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Sep. 2026 The map, barring any major changes, will revert back to the boundaries lawmakers approved in 2022, bolstering Cleaver’s chances of reelection. — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2026 More than 120 other Reddit users supported the statement, bolstering it with their own proof of its superiority like photos of the state’s pristine sand and crystal clear water more akin to the Caribbean than the Midwest. — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 2 Sep. 2026 Its supports touch down like elephant feet, bolstering what could be a mammoth spacecraft, landing delicately next to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. — Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026 On the whole, dietetics has not appeared to be a priority for the administration, with much of the conversation focusing on bolstering nutrition education for medical doctors, or elevating non-credentialed roles, like wellness coaches. — Lauren Chan, STAT, 1 Sep. 2026 Wintour has been instrumental in bolstering donations to the Costume Institute with some estimates at $250 million. — Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026 The county brought the team to continue bolstering A Home for All’s work. — Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 28 Aug. 2026 Nvidia is bolstering support for Chinese artificial intelligence models in a play to beat domestic chipmakers to optimizing hardware for the systems. — Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bolstering

Verb

Last year at the Venice Film Festival, Italy’s Fondazione Prada officially launched its film fund, aimed at sustaining independent cinema from around the world without any restrictions on theme, genre or language.

— Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 8 Sep. 2026
Meanwhile, left tackle Rashawn Slater, who missed all of last season after sustaining a knee injury in training camp, was sidelined for much of August because of a flare-up to that same knee.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of sustaining

Verb

Interiors are seamlessly integrated into the environment, reinforcing the very restraint and repose the hospitality group has become so renowned for since its inception in 1988.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Sep. 2026
As a result, non-Jewish sources have necessarily had to be privileged, a fact which has the unfortunate effect of reinforcing Jewish exclusion.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of reinforcing

Verb

The company says the plant could provide roughly 400 MW of electrical power without the risk of plasma disruptions, supporting its intended role as a source of baseload energy.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2026
Finland has also been an attractive location for digital infrastructure supporting social media workloads, with TikTok planning on expanding its data center capacity in the country.

— Kai Nicol-Schwarz, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of supporting

Verb

And neither were the co-hosts, who felt their fun, feel-good, not-that-serious event was suddenly being accused of upholding white supremacy.

— E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026
The Supreme Court’s recent decision upholding state bans did not create a nationwide mandate, leaving California’s policy in effect.

— Alejandro Avila , Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of upholding

Verb

Text messages outline concerns over a diabetic coma Blodgett was staying at a foster home in metro Phoenix where only the house manager was trained in managing his diabetes.

— Jacques Billeaud, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
There are hotels where the lobby is the main event, designed as much for the people dropping in for a drink as those actually staying there.

— Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of staying

Browse Nearby Words

bolsterers

bolstering

bolsters

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Style

“Bolstering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bolstering. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of bolstering

verb

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