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
Wilson has set about buttressing football operations.
—
Chris Waugh, New York Times, 16 Mar. 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
Chris Waugh, New York Times, 16 Mar. 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
-
Over Your Dead Body knows that sustaining a harmonious union amid petty jealousies, paranoia, and personal flaws is hard; navigating a hostage situation involving desperate sickos and sociopaths is even harder; and maintaining a balance of laughs and gag-reflex tweaking is the hardest of it all.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The remark conveyed a familiar image of American military power, a projection of being technologically unmatched, logistically dominant and capable of sustaining operations indefinitely.—
James LaPorta,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
It was initially made available exclusively on the streaming service Tidal, reinforcing its status as a visual album rather than a traditional rollout.—
Caché McClay,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Smaller, independent businesses often have more flexibility to source locally, and your dollars are more likely to circulate through an entire regional supply chain instead of reinforcing national ones.—
Maryam Ahmed,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Snitker was emotional, thanking Ronnie for supporting him in this career for all these decades.—
Gabriel Burns,
AJC.com,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Investors bought tech stocks viewed as supporting the AI infrastructure buildout and dumping those seen as threatened by its adoption.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Cabo Cabo is popping with new and renovated hotels, further bolstering its front-row positioning as a Hollywood travel mainstay.—
Carole Dixon,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Bender added that Churchill Downs bolstering its portfolio with the Preakness could allow the company to streamline sponsorship, media rights and hospitality offerings, while improving its overall ability to monetize racing events.—
Justin Birnbaum,
Sportico.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Notably, these shakedown attempts come more than 15 years after Michael’s death, thus carrying no risk of being sued for defamation.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Asia-to-Europe or intra-Asia trade lanes often go through the strait, and vessels carrying cargo from other apparel manufacturing countries including Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Myanmar are likely using the passage.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The case has since taken several turns, with a lower-court ruling in 2021 that the plaintiffs did not have standing and also saying that they were bound by a state Supreme Court 1985 decision upholding the 1982 law.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Some said the commercial, with a conventionally attractive, white, thin, blonde woman with blue eyes at its center, was upholding Sweeney as the beauty standard.—
Anika Reed,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Buttressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buttressing. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
