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
Now, as a study in Nature Communications reports, Curiosity may not have only found conditions that could have hosted life, but chemicals that, on Earth at least, are building blocks of biology.
—
Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 21 Apr. 2026
Players like Buium, Tom Willander and Liam Öhgren may be building blocks, perhaps, but the reality is that this process is beginning without any surefire cornerstone pieces in place.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Such a meal should include a good source of protein, such as eggs, in order to stock up on or refuel depleted amino acids, including cysteine and methionine, which are building blocks for protective antioxidants.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 17 Mar. 2026
Every day, practice, period, rep, snap and second are building blocks to something bigger.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for building block
Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 21 Apr. 2026
Players like Buium, Tom Willander and Liam Öhgren may be building blocks, perhaps, but the reality is that this process is beginning without any surefire cornerstone pieces in place.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Such a meal should include a good source of protein, such as eggs, in order to stock up on or refuel depleted amino acids, including cysteine and methionine, which are building blocks for protective antioxidants.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 17 Mar. 2026
Every day, practice, period, rep, snap and second are building blocks to something bigger.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for building block
Recent Examples of Synonyms for building block
Noun
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Sennott, 30, appeared alongside Hacks star Hannah Einbinder, Saturday Night Live cast member Ashley Padilla, Keke Palmer, and Abbott Elementary star Quinta Brunson on The Hollywood Reporter's Comedy Actresses Roundtable.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
29 May 2026
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The original series took off in popularity during season 5 in 2019, turning cast members such as Higgins, Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury into household names.—
Carolyn Burt,
Oc Register,
29 May 2026
Noun
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While Belarus has not contributed troops to battle, Lukashenko has backed President Vladimir Putin’s war effort by hosting Russia’s nuclear weapons and military infrastructure, as well as producing components for Moscow’s military industries.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 May 2026
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While lithium often dominates headlines, graphite is actually one of the largest components inside a lithium-ion battery by weight.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
31 May 2026
Noun
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Inflation concerns Another factor that could push the RBI in favour of a rate cut is the risk of higher inflation.—
Sri Jegarajah,Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
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Much of Microsoft’s messaging around AI is speculative and self-serving, but the company rightly points out that new computing form factors have always required specialization, and that process is complex and expensive.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
2 June 2026
Noun
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Sabalenka, 28, at first seemed to cope well with the elements, showing signs of mild annoyance at 5-3 in the first set.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
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At the time, NASA was counting on the Falcon 9 to return its capability to launch humans, and today, NASA is counting on New Glenn as a key element of its lunar ambitions.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
3 June 2026
Noun
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The kitchen teams source 70% of their ingredients from local purveyors, reducing the hotel’s carbon footprint, too.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
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When the skin barrier is healthy, the skin looks calmer, smoother, more luminous and more tolerant of active ingredients, Devgan tells me.—
Rachel Burchfield,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Building block.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/building%20block. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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