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
  • Senior local official Dagnachew Azbite told the BBC that seven people had been found injured, with five of the victims sustaining serious injuries.
    — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Injury news Cristobal also announced Tuesday that tight end Luka Gilbert is out for the season after sustaining an injury at home over the offseason.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of sustaining
Verb
  • Officials reported Wednesday that firefighters had established containment lines around the perimeters of all three fires affecting Spokane and that they were focused on reinforcing those lines.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026
  • At the same time, Novo reported another mixed clinical result for next-generation weight-loss drug CagriSema, reinforcing investor questions about the company's longer-term pipeline.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of reinforcing
Verb
  • Campbell is another newcomer with only one previous credit, a supporting role in the 2025 drama Late Fame, starring Willem Dafoe and Greta Lee.
    — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Friends of the Orland Park Public Library is a nonprofit organization run by volunteers who are dedicated to supporting the library through advocacy and raising money.
    — Melinda Moore, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of supporting
Verb
  • The Twins would love to enhance their position by further bolstering the bullpen.
    — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The study further demonstrates that bolstering SORLA has potential as a therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer’s disease and other tauopathies (a group of brain disorders defined by the buildup of abnormal tau protein).
    — Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 July 2026
Definition of bolstering
Verb
  • Churchill Downs races will be televised on NBC with Fox carrying the New York racing television coverage.
    — Danny Brewer, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The last flight carrying 146 Venezuelans landed in Venezuela just hours before the disaster struck.
    — Rocio Munoz, CNN Money, 4 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 6 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on buttressing

Nglish: Translation of buttressing for Spanish Speakers

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