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
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
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
See All Example Sentences for building block
Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 8 Dec. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for building block
Recent Examples of Synonyms for building block
Noun
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Stanley is a member of the Justice Collaboratory at Yale Law School and serves on the advisory board of the Prison Policy Initiative.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The small plane was carrying two crew members and 13 passengers, including Diógenes Quintero, 36, a member of the House of Representatives for Catatumbo, the airline said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 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
-
They can easily be pushed, by these outside factors, into imbalance.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Reality shows already showcase a dozen desperate people struggling against the elements and each other.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
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The app is being developed by a very small team, and may include a biometric identity recognition element.—
Danielle Chemtob,
Forbes.com,
29 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 1 Feb. 2026.
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