BUTTRESSING Synonyms: 30 Similar and Opposite Words

buttressing

verb

present participle of buttress

as in sustaining

to hold up or serve as a foundation for a brace buttressed the wall

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in reinforcing

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 buttressing Veteran starter Lucas Giolito joined the organization last week, buttressing a shallow rotation. — Dennis Lin, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026 The competition with China will hinge not on mimicking Beijing’s methods but on buttressing the core strengths of the United States. — Lael Brainard, Foreign Affairs, 10 Nov. 2025 Traffic among higher-income shoppers has grown, Kempczinski added, buttressing the company’s revenue. — Max Zahn, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2025 The upstream glaciers, now without their buttressing support, flow faster toward the sea. — Evan Howell, Quanta Magazine, 20 Oct. 2025 Any good Marxist can tell you that the ruling class of any nation will frequently make social concessions as a way of buttressing its brute political power with moral credibility. — Book Marks august 7, Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for buttressing

Verb

But sustaining that rotation has presented its own challenges.

— Steven Beynon, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
This is a foundational arrangement for sustaining North Korean livelihoods and stabilizing China’s northeastern border.

— ZHENG JIYONG, Foreign Affairs, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of sustaining

Verb

Officials reported Wednesday that firefighters had established containment lines around the perimeters of all three fires affecting Spokane and that they were focused on reinforcing those lines.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026
At the same time, Novo reported another mixed clinical result for next-generation weight-loss drug CagriSema, reinforcing investor questions about the company's longer-term pipeline.

— Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of reinforcing

Verb

Campbell is another newcomer with only one previous credit, a supporting role in the 2025 drama Late Fame, starring Willem Dafoe and Greta Lee.

— Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Aug. 2026
Friends of the Orland Park Public Library is a nonprofit organization run by volunteers who are dedicated to supporting the library through advocacy and raising money.

— Melinda Moore, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of supporting

Verb

Martin’s lab has shown that metals can replace biological enzymes in many basic metabolic processes, bolstering the case.

— Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026
The revision reflects a bevy of fundamental, technical and historical factors bolstering the market, according to CFRA.

— Sarah Min, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of bolstering

Verb

Ultimately, though, the highlight is grabbing a glass of local wine at the lobby bar, carrying it to any one of the viewpoints on the massive lawn, and watching sunset over the silent sound, feeling like everything the light touches is yours.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Aug. 2026
The Houthis claimed responsibility for the strike via the group’s news agency Saba on Tuesday, saying the ship was carrying military equipment.

— Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of carrying

Verb

The county executive’s chartered responsibilities include overseeing the county’s municipal departments, correcting errors in tax assessments, executing certain contracts, upholding the county charter and representing the county in general.

— Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026
There are plenty of people who don't agree with the NCAA upholding a suspension, and the Tennessee administration is high on the list.

— Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of upholding

Browse Nearby Words

buttresses

buttressing

butts

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Style

“Buttressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buttressing. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of buttressing

verb

Example Sentences

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