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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in support
a structure that holds up or serves as a foundation for something else
after the wall collapsed, the construction company agreed to rebuild it with a buttress
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
The mountains rise up like a curtain wall, crowned by a long buttress of snowfields and ice against the blue sky.
—Brian Mann, NPR, 24 May 2025
Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 3 Dec. 2025
House Democrats eager to buttress their minority ranks must wait more than 10 weeks for a traditionally blue seat in a Texas congressional district to be filled, thanks to the state's Republican governor, who set a runoff election for next year.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 17 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for buttress
Noun
Turkey is also an important buttress against Russia and has been a diplomatic player on the Ukraine war.
—Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
The mountains rise up like a curtain wall, crowned by a long buttress of snowfields and ice against the blue sky.
—Brian Mann, NPR, 24 May 2025
Verb
The relentless spoofing is, fortunately, buttressed by a convincing backdrop for marrying British comedy to the historical drama.
—Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 3 Dec. 2025
House Democrats eager to buttress their minority ranks must wait more than 10 weeks for a traditionally blue seat in a Texas congressional district to be filled, thanks to the state's Republican governor, who set a runoff election for next year.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 17 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for buttress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buttress
Noun
-
Sales tax cannibalization Typically, STAR bond districts only capture and divert sales tax revenue generated by anchor developments and other establishments in their immediate vicinity to pay off the debt associated with construction.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
8 Jan. 2026
-
When restyling surfaces, Saab suggests sticking to a single anchor piece as an antidote to the excess of the holidays.—
Kristin Hohenadel,
The Spruce,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Andy Baker-White, the senior director of state health policy for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, said the bipartisan support for bills targeting food dyes and ultraprocessed food struck him as unusual.—
Alan Greenblatt,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
-
The perfectly chunky, almost-statement shoes feature a lightweight midsole, shock-absorbing arch support, and a deep heel cup designed to keep your foot stable as you strut.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Strategic training and long-term transition plans The timing of this contract aligns with broader Navy efforts to sustain and eventually transition the E-6B fleet to its next generation.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Police were called to the scene after a report of a 3-year-old boy who was believed to have sustained a gunshot wound.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The trend, the study says, is likely to reinforce the advantages of platforms with scale, deep libraries and diversified monetization.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Both are decorated with vintage features reminiscent of 20th-century classrooms, reinforcing the theme of celebrating Olde Town Arvada’s rich history.—
John Meyer,
Denver Post,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The geologic monocline extends almost 100 miles and is surrounded by white sandstone domes, towering monoliths, and otherworldly pillars and arches.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Jan. 2026
-
As prosecutor general, Saab has been a key legal pillar of Nicolás Maduro’s government, overseeing cases against opposition leaders, protesters, journalists and civil society activists.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
As California schools face worsening economic conditions, many districts are bolstering their reserves to stave off deficits.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Weymouth is experienced and has the potential for a run, bolstered by senior captains Ryan Ferguson (forward), Mike Curry (forward), Colin Browning (defense) and Billy Lennon (goalie).—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In energy, Siemens is working with Commonwealth Fusion Systems to support the development of commercial fusion machines using design software and a unified data backbone.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Padrino López Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López, long considered the backbone of Maduro’s survival, remains a critical figure as well.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The Bucs hope that switching up the coaching staff, adding more reinforcements through free agency and most importantly, keeping the main leader in place, could bode well for 2026.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Training begins in a simulated environment using reinforcement learning, where the robot improves by trial and error.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Buttress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buttress. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share