as in member
one of the parts that make up a whole
historically the infantry division has been a basic building block of armies
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Recent Examples of building block
Carbon turns building block Rahbar says the global dependence on concrete urgently needs rethinking.
—
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Dec. 2025
Protein is made up of amino acids, which are known as building blocks.
—Karen Berger, Verywell Health, 30 Nov. 2025
Wine Terms to Know Structure Intensity of flavor, richness of body, acidity, and tannins are all building blocks that lend structure to wine.
—Anna Lee C. Iijima, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Nov. 2025
View gallery - 7 images Functioning a little like oversized Lego, the versatility of shipping containers ensures that architects never run out of ideas for using them as building blocks.
—New Atlas, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for building block
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Dec. 2025
Protein is made up of amino acids, which are known as building blocks.
—Karen Berger, Verywell Health, 30 Nov. 2025
Wine Terms to Know Structure Intensity of flavor, richness of body, acidity, and tannins are all building blocks that lend structure to wine.
—Anna Lee C. Iijima, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Nov. 2025
View gallery - 7 images Functioning a little like oversized Lego, the versatility of shipping containers ensures that architects never run out of ideas for using them as building blocks.
—New Atlas, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for building block
Recent Examples of Synonyms for building block
Noun
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Parents demanded that a Brea Olinda Unified School Board member resign from his position after police arrested him on child pornography allegations last month.—
Nicole Comstock,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
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Your community grows as its members become more engaged and invested.—
William Arruda,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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As an iconic component of downtown infrastructure, the skyway network cannot be separated from broader discussions about the revitalization of downtown.—
Jared Kaufman,
Twin Cities,
11 Jan. 2026
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Nacua was an essential component to that, reeling in a game-high 10 passes for 111 yards.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Researchers estimated that about 75% of this higher risk was explained by other LE8 factors, rather than sleep timing alone.—
Dr. Joseph Wendt,
ABC News,
28 Jan. 2026
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They can easily be pushed, by these outside factors, into imbalance.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Energy developers could produce flame-resistant enclosures or modular housing elements.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Jan. 2026
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Rather than reacting emotionally to short‑term market noise or news cycles, focusing on controllable elements helps retirees stick to their long‑term plans and avoid costly mistakes driven by fear or impulse.—
Andrew Rosen,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Whether choosing cleaning products with trustworthy ingredients or buying a pair of shoes made of recycled materials, brand values are now part of the purchase decision.—
Serenity Gibbons,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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The spare ingredient list allows the bulb’s true flavor to shine through.—
Shilpa Uskokovic,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Building block.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/building%20block. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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