buttress 1 of 2

noun

ˈbə-trəs How to pronounce buttress (audio)
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
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

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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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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
Noun
Researchers have been concerned that without their icy buttresses, these walls could collapse. — Megan I. Gannon, Scientific American, 6 May 2026 Three setbacks provide space for landscaped terraces, and at these floors, the structural columns slope inward, becoming tall buttresses that reintegrate into the latticework. — Adam Williams april 21, New Atlas, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
Kansas City is buttressed by the 6th Congressional District to the north and the 4th Congressional District to the south. — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 11 Sep. 2026 Ballard is entering his 10th season at the helm of the Colts, but his job security isn’t buttressed by his resume. — James Boyd, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for buttress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buttress
  1. anchor
  2. support
  3. sustain
  4. reinforce
  5. pillar
  6. reinforcement
  7. bolster
  8. backbone
Noun
  • Consistent with their hypothesis, the secretion signal helps transfer the enzyme out of the cell, while the lipid anchor holds it near the cell surface.
    — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
  • But despite this, they were still conceived of as being located within the mounds themselves, real-world anchors for these strange, marvelous realms.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of anchor
Noun
  • Blue Origin also aims to produce nearly all its components and systems in-house, while maintaining support from external suppliers.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Peter and Rebecca’s sister Lauren will serve as Rebecca’s support swimmer.
    — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of support
Verb
  • But when mandates or control measures are used as the main tool in a crisis response, a short-term impact can be difficult to sustain.
    — Raj Panjabi, STAT, 21 Oct. 2026
  • In addition to a person in his car dying from injuries sustained in the crash, another passenger was severely hurt, the release said.
    — Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of sustain
Verb
  • Mental health experts have voiced concerns about chatbots’ sycophancy, lack of clinical nuance, and ability to reinforce delusional beliefs.
    — Andrew R. Chow, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Kim Yo Jong, widely viewed as the second most powerful official in Pyongyang, made the statement after visiting frontline areas where soldiers are reinforcing the border.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of reinforce
Noun
  • The three pillars of regenerative agriculture Here’s an easy way to picture it.
    — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The collaboration falls during MCM’s 50th anniversary year and serves to reaffirm sport as a pillar of its history.
    — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of pillar
Noun
  • But as that approach began to deliver diminishing returns, and freely available human data started to dry up, the labs have leaned much more on post-training and reinforcement learning.
    — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The researchers trained the machine using reinforcement learning, enabling it to navigate obstacles and perform dynamic movements.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of reinforcement
Verb
  • The absence of Karoline Vitto — who bolstered the curve representation last season in London — was palpably felt.
    — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Such moves are typical of presidential hopefuls from both parties seeking to bolster their alliances nationwide.
    — Matthew Choi, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of bolster
Noun
  • Zelenskyy said that Kyiv was investigating sudden speed restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Starshield, the military-grade version of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, which is the backbone of Ukraine’s drone operations and communication.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Network is the backbone of Ukraine’s drone operations Starshield is the backbone of Ukraine’s drone operations.
    — Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of backbone

Browse Nearby Words

button (up)
buttress
buttressed
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Cite this Entry

“Buttress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buttress. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on buttress

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about buttress

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