buttress 1 of 2

Definition of buttressnext
1
as in anchor
something or someone to which one looks for support the mother had always been the buttress of our family in trying times

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2

buttress

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to sustain
to hold up or serve as a foundation for a brace buttressed the wall

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2
as in to reinforce
to provide evidence or information for (as a claim or idea) a mass of circumstantial evidence buttresses the prosecutor's case

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of buttress
Noun
At a number of events on Tuesday, senior officials made a case for gas as essential for energy security and a buttress to renewables. Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 23 Sep. 2025 In this era, ogival windows and flying buttresses would be more bracing than yet another thicket of computerized-looking shapes. D. T. Max, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
That warmer water melts ice from below, thinning floating shelves and weakening their ability to buttress the glaciers behind them. Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 4 Mar. 2026 In the cases before the Supreme Court as well as the wage case before Hall, there is no suggestion that lawyers intentionally buttressed their arguments with phony precedents in order to win an unfair advantage. Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 1 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for buttress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buttress
Noun
  • This will also inevitably impact the wider creative industries ecosystem, given the BBC’s crucial anchor role in commissioning content and nurturing talent.
    Jake Kanter, Deadline, 15 Apr. 2026
  • Instead of pitons that damaged the rock walls climbers were ascending, Chouinard Equipment started selling chocks, metal anchors that could be wedged into existing cracks in the rock.
    Tony Biasotti, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The positions include 11 elementary school counselors, 17 exceptional service education counselors, 16 social workers, 21 clerical support assistants and 40 district management positions, according to a document provided by the school district.
    Scott Travis, Sun Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2026
  • All of it goes to charities ranging from youth support services to cancer treatment.
    Brandon Truitt, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Officers arrived and found the motorcyclist, only identified as a male adult, suffering from injuries sustained in the collision.
    Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026
  • Following that, the letter calls for the development of a 20-year strategy with bipartisan support to ensure Colorado sustains and extends its leadership as the nation’s leading non-coastal technology and innovation hub.
    Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 13 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Further reinforcing the overlap, businesses and residents increasingly are fleeing high taxes and prices in Illinois for a lower cost of living in Indiana.
    Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2026
  • It's formulated with the label's game-changing Alpha Keratin 60KU, which nourishes the scalp, repairs damage, and reinforces hair strength.
    Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 11 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The two pillars of private markets have become deeply intertwined over the past decade, with direct lenders stepping in as a key financing engine for buyouts after banks retreated following the global financial crisis, according to industry veterans.
    Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 20 Apr. 2026
  • Parents expressed sorrow at seeing a pillar of their children’s music journey gone too soon.
    David John Chávez, Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Not to mention, a budding rap career that would have been bolstered by playing for a Bay Area franchise in the heart of the West Coast rap scene.
    Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2026
  • Beijing is seeking to bolster trade ties to counter the impact, hosting several European and Asian leaders recently.
    Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 17 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Materials with high entanglement could become the backbone of future quantum computers or ultra-secure communication networks.
    Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 11 Apr. 2026
  • Data centers, the backbone of the AI economy, are among the most energy-intensive assets in the world.
    Pandu Sjahrir, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Because grandeur depends on constant reinforcement, every contradiction becomes a threat.
    Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2026
  • Experts say these moves result in a loss of effortless marketing and brand reinforcement from the landmark buildings.
    Leah Olajide, Freep.com, 12 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Buttress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buttress. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.

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