buttressing

verb

present participle of buttress
1
as in sustaining
to hold up or serve as a foundation for a brace buttressed the wall

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
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
  1. sustaining
  2. reinforcing
  3. supporting
  4. bolstering
  5. carrying
  6. upholding
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
  • The grants help pay for home improvements like upgrading roof coverings, retrofitting doors and windows, and reinforcing connections between walls and roofs.
    — Jaclyn de Medicci Bruneau, Sun Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Over the years, Vizard has watched visitors come to the farm to admire the birds, reinforcing her belief that the farm should continue to be used as an open space.
    — Tran Chau, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of reinforcing
Verb
  • Meanwhile, Mercury in your private 12th house sextiles Venus in your 2nd House of Resources, supporting quiet decisions around money, self-worth, and peace.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Johnson said the development could add to the local tax base while supporting construction and information technology jobs.
    — Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 13 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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Cite this Entry

“Buttressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buttressing. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of buttressing for Spanish Speakers

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