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
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
Arginine is an amino acid (which are building blocks of proteins) that helps protect hair whereas the lipids help to protect the hair against thermal and UV damage from styling.
—Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 7 Feb. 2026
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
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
Arginine is an amino acid (which are building blocks of proteins) that helps protect hair whereas the lipids help to protect the hair against thermal and UV damage from styling.
—Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 7 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for building blocks
Noun
-
The other nine members of the inaugural class earned automatic inductions as the nine former players who have had their jersey numbers retired by the team.—
Jori Parys,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Shortly after dropping his ailing bid for reelection, Adams embarked on a four-day trip to Albania, meeting with the country’s Prime Minister Edi Rama and members of his Cabinet, along with local business leaders.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
When shopping for yourself or your family, keep these factors in mind to avoid compromising food quality.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Several factors contributed to largesse for Zaslav, who has been running the debt-laden company for four years.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Options lean fruit-forward, herbal and slightly savory, with ingredients like citrus, fresh herbs and briny elements showing up across the list.—
Evan Moore
April 8,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Stir together the first four ingredients in a large bowl; stir in cheeses.—
Henri Hollis,
AJC.com,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Specialized teams were conducting evaluations of concrete and metal components.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
-
In other instances, China directly supplies Iran with Western or Chinese technology components that are found in Iranian drones used against US military installations and economic interests in the Gulf, as well as on Russia’s battlefield in Ukraine.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Options lean fruit-forward, herbal and slightly savory, with ingredients like citrus, fresh herbs and briny elements showing up across the list.—
Evan Moore
April 8,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Competing Colors One painting mistake that will diminish the appearance of even the nicest new kitchen is not thoughtfully considering how your cabinet or wall color will coordinate with other elements in the room.—
Sarah Lyon,
The Spruce,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Building blocks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/building%20blocks. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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