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
In the video, Bill Riley, a vice president of Starship engineering, cast endeavors like SpaceX's smaller Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets, as well as its Dragon spacecraft that travels in orbit, as building blocks to the grander unveiling of Starship.
—
Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 1 May 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
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
Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 1 May 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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for building blocks
Noun
-
Many questions from the fair rent commission members on Saturday focused on Sun Communities’ profits compared to the cost of the rent increase to residents.—
Ginny Monk,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
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Because three of the council’s nine members were absent, the council was essentially deadlocked 3-3 on the bus stops.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
The volatility can be partly attributed to several factors, including weather, labor strikes, lower-than-typical post-holiday layoffs, and recalibrations to how the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates payroll changes at new and closed businesses (referred to as the birth-death model).—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
7 May 2026
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But after a few decades, economic and geopolitical factors led the companies to close the factories, sinking local economies and in some cases leaving behind toxic contamination.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Reduce mixer speed to low and with motor running, add dry ingredients and banana mixture in 2 batches each, alternating between batches and mixing 30 seconds after each addition before adding the next.—
Shilpa Uskokovic,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
28 Apr. 2026
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Most of the staff are politely, if coolly, efficient, but there were a couple of more gregarious waitstaff at the restaurant who were happily chatting with diners, explaining the provenance of various ingredients.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Skydio’s investment will pour $1 billion into boosting domestic production of vital parts and components used to build drones.—
Itzel Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Those high-power memory components have become harder to obtain as the proliferation of artificial intelligence drives up demand for the hardware.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Instead, incorporate key elements of the architectural style into your outdoor design by mirroring its features in the colors, textures, and flourishes of hardscaping and furniture.—
Kelly Dawson,
Architectural Digest,
28 Apr. 2026
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Other nods to motorsport include carbon fiber elements, red accents, and a custom windshield frame in Ferrari’s famous Giallo Modena yellow.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Building blocks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/building%20blocks. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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