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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in supports
to hold up or serve as a foundation for
a brace buttressed the wall
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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 buttresses
Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
James B. Steinberg, Foreign Affairs, 9 June 2020
Noun
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
Verb
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
Noun
-
The absence of these everyday anchors has become one of the most consistent themes in community conversations.—
Michelle Edgar,
Daily News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Highlining Between Two Moving Balloons A slackline is a flat webbing, usually nylon or polyester, tensioned between two anchors like trees, buildings, or canyon walls.—
Madison Dapcevich,
Outside,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Science is only one of the pillars of Mashpi.—
Amy Drew Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
-
There was a point when Matos and Marco Luciano were considered future pillars of the organization, but both former top prospects have seen their time with the Giants end in recent months.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Norris supports paper ballots instead of voting machines, according to his campaign website.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
-
More noteworthy initiatives include the hotel’s green roof, which supports urban biodiversity, and its five-year Habitat Management Plan, run by a team of ecologists.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Orkin reinforces your home's protections, targets those who have weaseled their way into your home, and starts to prep for the colder season where all those bugs will want to come back into your warm and cozy walls.—
Kate Tully Ellsworth,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
-
This new endeavor signals a strategic evolution in her career, bridging hip-hop with theater in a way that reinforces her while aligning her with one of Broadway’s most celebrated shows.—
Datwon Thomas,
VIBE.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Hundreds of animals with backbones are still being discovered every single year.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
6 Mar. 2026
-
To start the new Mideast war, Donnie acted on his own with no resistance from his sycophants, who have no backbones.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Snow accumulations in the valleys of 1 to 4 inches with the higher amounts likely in the western shores of Lake Tahoe.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
31 Mar. 2026
-
On this week’s episode, how the sweet fruit became an American staple because of one entrepreneur who took business off US shores, expanding the country’s economic reach and influence.—
Kyana Moghadam,
NPR,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The answer is that the chlorophyll pigment dominant in green leaves is more efficient at triggering photosynthesis — the process by which plants make the sugar that sustains them — than the pigments dominant in darker leaves.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Rimsky-Korsakov sustains that urgency, creating a narrative through music that moves and reshapes itself in surprising ways.—
Sheila Regan,
Twin Cities,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Wemby bolsters his defensive-minded MVP case Wembanyama argued after Monday's win at Miami that his defensive excellence should factor into him winning MVP.—
Tom Orsborn,
San Antonio Express-News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Recent polling bolsters the belief among his possible primary foes that Fetterman could be vulnerable in 2028, with 62% of Pennsylvania Democrats disapproving of his job in a Quinnipiac poll released last month.—
Nicholas Wu,
semafor.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Buttresses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buttresses. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
