as in members
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 blocks
The e-skin is made from magnetic patches that fit together like building blocks.
—
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 12 Jan. 2026
But for this team, there’s building blocks for sure.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 3 Jan. 2026
The scene came in a fictional segment parodying Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead in which Maggie defends her architectural talents after her daycare teacher punishes her for making beautiful structures from building blocks.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Dec. 2025
The ecstasy of love and the fear of passing poison through one’s blood are, for Dijon, building blocks as elemental as drums.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 8 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
While no life has been found on the 310-mile-wide moon, the discovery confirms that building blocks for it could be present, Nozair Khawaja, a planetary scientist at the Free University of Berlin in Germany, who led the study, said in a press release.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 12 Jan. 2026
But for this team, there’s building blocks for sure.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 3 Jan. 2026
The scene came in a fictional segment parodying Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead in which Maggie defends her architectural talents after her daycare teacher punishes her for making beautiful structures from building blocks.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Dec. 2025
The ecstasy of love and the fear of passing poison through one’s blood are, for Dijon, building blocks as elemental as drums.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 8 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
While no life has been found on the 310-mile-wide moon, the discovery confirms that building blocks for it could be present, Nozair Khawaja, a planetary scientist at the Free University of Berlin in Germany, who led the study, said in a press release.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for building blocks
Noun
-
O’Hara launched her extraordinary career as one of the ensemble members of the star-making cast of SCTV before gaining acclaim in such films as Beetlejuice, Home Alone, A Mighty Wind and, in a full-circle embrace of her TV roots that earned her an Emmy Award, Schitt’s Creek.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Before long, Colin has buzzed his hair and fallen in with Ray’s biker gang, many of whose members are paired off in sub-dom dyads of their own.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But size, speed, and strength aren’t the only factors that matter.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Longevity, the authors estimated, was about 25 percent heritable, meaning the remaining three quarters was determined by environmental factors and lifestyle choices, such as diet and exercise.—
Cody Cottier,
Scientific American,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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If the chef creates a new dish built around hyper-seasonal estate ingredients, the winery evaluates which vintage sings with it.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Later that year, Debut entered the contract manufacturing business, with the goal of bringing biotech ingredients to the masses.—
Kathryn Hopkins,
Footwear News,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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At the same time, the Institute of Physics focused on addressing technical challenges in system health monitoring and precision measurement for high-temperature superconducting components.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Jan. 2026
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Snow, ice and cold temperatures can greatly affect related power components.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Books printed on the cheapest paper made gray by ink and elements bleeding into its skin through the years.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Luxurious design elements range from a Bianco Eclipse Quartzite island in the kitchen to a Cloud Chandelier in the dining room, allowing both spaces to stand out, while warm lighting and softly shimmering gold cabinetry foster harmony between the two.—
Demetrius Simms,
Robb Report,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Building blocks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/building%20blocks. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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