buttresses 1 of 2

noun

plural of buttress
1
as in anchors
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 pillars
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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buttresses

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of buttress
1
as in supports
to hold up or serve as a foundation for a brace buttressed the wall

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2
as in reinforces
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 buttresses
Noun
With their swollen, flaring buttresses and soaring heights of 80 feet or more, the trees are awe-inspiring when reflected in the dark water. — Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 25 July 2026 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 Arches and natural bridges sweep like buttresses from jumbles of rock, giving this landscape a mystical, cathedral-like quality. — Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026 There were also some spider-like buttresses for the London streets. — Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Dec. 2023
Verb
The document filed by the Justice Department in the Los Angeles Superior Court case led by plaintiffs Todd and Kimberley Ferrier — whose Pacific Palisades home burned down — buttresses arguments made by the victims’ attorneys. — Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026 That very insight further buttresses the need for a grand strategy. — James B. Steinberg, Foreign Affairs, 9 June 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buttresses
  1. anchors
  2. pillars
  3. supports
  4. reinforces
  5. backbones
  6. shores
  7. sustains
  8. bolsters
Noun
  • What analysts' buyout models say Despite such valuation anchors, analysts are split on how much a financial sponsor might pay for the company and what Global Payments and its long-term shareholders might accept.
    — Justin Zacks, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Jim Acosta and Katie Couric, two popular former mainstream TV anchors, will team up to host a live stream from the University of Virginia, and have booked guests including Rahm Emanuel, Pete Buttigieg and Tara Setmayer.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of anchors
Noun
  • For families There’s a comprehensive Ritz Kids program built around four pillars—nature, exploration, culture, and environment—with eco-workshops, nature walks, and babysitting available.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The ceremony took place outdoors, framed by the villa’s stone pillars and the mountains beyond, and the couple kept the floral palette intentionally organic, creating the effect of a garden growing around the aisle.
    — Alexandra Macon, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of pillars
Verb
  • The award supports development of its wider Frenzy engine family.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Connecticut For All, a progressive coalition of more than 60 faith, labor and other civic organizations, also supports this option.
    — Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of supports
Verb
  • Gallup’s research reinforces the importance of the manager-employee relationship, finding that managers account for approximately 70% of the variance in team engagement.
    — Adithyan RK, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Haugan added that the project reinforces VARD’s position as a leader in offshore technology and shipbuilding.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of reinforces
Noun
  • Sorkin has written, among other things, a show about Democrats with actual backbones.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Also with a real understanding that girls and women are the backbones not just of our families, but our communities and our democracy.
    — Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of backbones
Noun
  • The port city on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay chartered the country’s first commercial railroad in 1827.
    — Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026
  • From the shores of Lake Ontario to rural Kansas, signs point to a voter coalition under strain, as Republicans grappling with a troubled economy question the party’s direction.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of shores
Verb
  • French biologist Pierre Joliot helped answer how photosynthetic organisms split water to produce the oxygen that sustains life on Earth.
    — Delthia Ricks, Washington Post, 31 Oct. 2026
  • What Actually Interrupts The Pattern If the organization sustains the behavior, then the organization is what has to change.
    — Jonathan H. Westover, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of sustains
Verb
  • But the defendants dispute that account, as well as the constitutionality of the HEAR Act, which bolsters Reif’s claim.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 2 Nov. 2026
  • As much as the latter two helped to inaugurate the era of online automotive auction houses by setting new standards for thorough listings and seller engagements, the excitement of real-time bidding in person undoubtedly bolsters values even further.
    — Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of bolsters

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Cite this Entry

“Buttresses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buttresses. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

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