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

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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
  • God is present now, and there could never be a future moment when His sustaining presence is absent.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The next step is sustaining that work through the heavier demands of a season.
    — C.J. Holmes, New York Daily News, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of sustaining
Verb
  • That means knowing which sources carry weight with language models, which narratives are worth reinforcing and what is costing you citations.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • There is also evidence of second-round effects from energy costs, reinforcing the risk that inflation is becoming entrenched, BofA said.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of reinforcing
Verb
  • Ahead of the premiere’s conclusion, Variety exclusively reported that Neon’s awards campaign for the film will include Garfield and Rylance competing in the supporting actor category and Borisov campaigning in lead actor.
    — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Service is low-key but practical, with staff supporting both wellness programming and basic logistics like airport pickups.
    — CNT Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of supporting
Verb
  • The new mRNA vaccine has shown very good promise with bolstering immune response.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Rough Draft is launching a newsletter and print edition in Athens, bolstering the amount of dedicated local reporting in Georgia’s sixth-largest city.
    — Savannah Sicurella, AJC.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of bolstering
Verb
  • The resulting frame weighs just six pounds without the battery, despite supporting a drone capable of carrying 110 pounds.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Hurling is one of Ireland’s national sports, and involves moving a ball down the field, either by hitting it or carrying it for up to four steps.
    — Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of carrying
Verb
  • Kathleen Lord-Jones, an aviation cabin safety expert from Robson Forensic, explained the meticulous process of upholding food safety practices, from kitchen to tray table.
    — Joey Skladany, Travel + Leisure, 12 Sep. 2026
  • And neither were the co-hosts, who felt their fun, feel-good, not-that-serious event was suddenly being accused of upholding white supremacy.
    — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 8 Sep. 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 6 Oct. 2026.

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