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
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 Read our complete Istanbul travel guide here, which includes: Skip to: The Hagia Sophia and museum From the outside, the Hagia Sophia is undeniably majestic—a seemingly floating central dome is flanked by four spear-like minarets and a buttress of weathered, pastel pink colored stone. Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Aug. 2025
Verb
The city and county’s combined $20 million for phase two will be buttressed by $8 million in private donations, Kahn said. Tracey McManus, Dallas Morning News, 21 Jan. 2026 This was autonomy buttressed by evidence and clinical acumen. Eric Boodman, STAT, 20 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for buttress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buttress
Noun
  • The foundation recognized the diner as a vital social and cultural anchor for the Black community in Los Angeles.
    Angela Osorio, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2026
  • Kotb is expected to continue to fill in at the NBC morning franchise opposite Craig Melvin while regular co-anchor Savannah Guthrie continues to monitor the search for her mother, Nancy, in Arizona, according to a person familiar with the matter.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 25 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Meanwhile, city staff are also examining ways to provide regular and emergency assistance to Los Angeles restaurants, as well as provide additional support to legacy restaurants in financial crisis.
    City News Service, Daily News, 26 Feb. 2026
  • Similar to when the on-air incident happened in 2023, news of Kuiper’s return was a hot topic Wednesday night on social media, eliciting strong opinions in support and against Kuiper’s return.
    Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Court documents reveal extensive injuries including ligature marks, burn marks, broken bones and deformity sustained before Crystal Marie Falcon’s death on February 13.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026
  • The company’s leadership had originally conceived Insider as a premium add-on to the Economist’s subscription, but decided that the demand wasn’t great enough to sustain the video series as its own offering, and folded it into the existing magazine subscription.
    Max Tani, semafor.com, 23 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The episode reinforced that digital assets continue to trade more like high-beta risk assets than geopolitical hedges.
    Dan Mangan,Leslie Josephs,Spencer Kimball,CJ Haddad,Justin Papp,Jordan Novet, CNBC, 28 Feb. 2026
  • And those negative experiences can reinforce an aversion to water.
    Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 27 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • What’s impressed Ottmann the most about Pomona’s current run is the degree to which the Panthers have followed Ponderosa’s two core pillars from a generation ago.
    Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 22 Feb. 2026
  • What really sold me was walking into the entryway with the pillars and wood.
    Brendel Clark, Freep.com, 21 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Increasing exposure to international stocks could also help bolster returns.
    John Towfighi, CNN Money, 27 Feb. 2026
  • The arrival of 41-year-old Thiago Silva has bolstered the back line further.
    Jack Lang, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Both help fill the left side of the defense, along with youngster Shakir Mukhamadullin and current longtime backbone Mario Ferraro.
    Eric Stephens, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2026
  • Days later, Russia struck again, targeting the high-voltage transmission lines that form the grid’s backbone.
    Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 24 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Around 200 tons of concrete, 200 tons of steel reinforcement and 12 massive pylons were used to construct the home, according to the property's description.
    Edward Segarra, USA Today, 23 Feb. 2026
  • One aspect is a thermoplastic healing substance 3D-printed as a polymer interlayer onto the fiber reinforcement.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 23 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Buttress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buttress. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.

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