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
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.
—
Andrea Long Chu,
Vulture,
5 Aug. 2025
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
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.
—
Andrea Long Chu,
Vulture,
5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buttressing
Verb
-
What is difficult is sustaining them under pressure.
-
His father operated multiple companies across different sectors, exposing him early to the mechanics of building and sustaining an enterprise.
Verb
-
Japan is also expanding drone capabilities, upgrading air power with F-35s and next-generation fighters, and reinforcing its Southwest Islands with military assets.
-
In addition to reinforcing graphic-design tropes, Claude Design tends to direct all of its users toward the same libraries of open-source code, the tools behind user-interface design.
Verb
-
All proceeds to the sell-out show, which was simulcast on ESPN, benefited the Garden of Dreams Foundation, the MSG non-profit supporting children in need.
-
Infantry attempting to move along the front, vehicle convoys transporting supplies, command posts coordinating operations, and artillery units supporting assaults are increasingly vulnerable to Ukrainian drone operators who can identify and strike targets with unprecedented speed and precision.
Verb
-
County executive James Williams expects the most likely incoming governor, former Health Secretary Xavier Becerra, would be more supportive of bolstering healthcare funding, and maintains state support will be essential in coming years.
-
In the Sunday talks, however, Tehran and Washington agreed on mechanism aimed at ensuring peace in Lebanon and bolstering security in the strait, through which a fifth of the world's oil would typically pass before the war.
Verb
-
Manco only reluctantly starts carrying a gun after his first robbery, concerned that doing so would only lead to more violence.
-
One of the historical laws Hawaii pointed to was an 1865 Louisiana statute, adopted after the Civil War, to prevent anyone from carrying a gun onto a plantation without the landowner’s permission.
Verb
-
The ruling, penned by Justice Samuel Alito, reverses lower court opinions upholding the protections and sends the case back to lower courts for next steps.
-
Dedicated to upholding the natural ecosystem, the pristine beaches, and inexplicably blue sea provide some of the most spectacular diving sites in the world, all within a short driving distance of the local towns and UNESCO World Heritage site and capital, Willemstad.
Cite this Entry
“Buttressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buttressing. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
