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
-
The book explores codependency, mental health and the realities of sustaining love under pressure.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
15 May 2026
-
The court was told that Paul and her 10-month-old son were in one of the seven cars involved in the collision, resulting in the baby sustaining a broken leg, per Toronto Sun and CBC.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
In addiction treatment, encouraging emotional attachment to an algorithm risks reinforcing the very patterns of avoidance and substitution that sustain addiction.—
Steve D. Klein,
STAT,
14 May 2026
-
Measures seen as defensive in Tokyo or Manila are invariably interpreted in Beijing as offensive—reinforcing, rather than easing, cycles of suspicion.—
Yu Jie,
Time,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Expanding access to high-quality early education, supporting the workforce behind it, and giving families clearer information is all part of the solution.—
Tina Dello Russo,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2026
-
In general, Korean skin care is often formulated with lower-irritation potential and barrier-supporting ingredients, which can be helpful if your skin concerns include dull skin or working toward a more even skin tone—especially for those with sensitive skin.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
These experiments successfully duplicated the same geometry and abrasion observed in the ancient tooth, bolstering the researchers' conclusions.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
13 May 2026
-
More than 300 new ICE officers and staff were being deployed to more than 40 states and Puerto Rico with the goal of bolstering immigration enforcement throughout the country, USA TODAY reported on May 8.—
Finch Walker,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
The outbreak aboard the MV Hondius began after a Dutch cruise ship carrying 147 passengers and crew departed Argentina on April 1 for a South Atlantic voyage.—
Brittany Miller,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
-
For instance, that giant water bottle is not something any European is carrying around.—
Kristy Alpert,
Travel + Leisure,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Schmon praises Cannes for upholding artistic excellence and the gains made so far by the fest’s programmers, but would like to see the festival engage more with organizations like hers.—
Mia Galuppo,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
-
Standing up to British tyranny was not breaking the law, but upholding it.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Buttressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buttressing. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
