as in buffers
something that serves as a protective barrier
used a blanket as a cushion between the two tables in the moving van
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in softens
to lessen the shock of
a substantial nest egg helped to cushion the sudden loss of her job
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cushions
Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 18 Feb. 2026
Crevice tools reach between cushions and around corners, while upholstery tools gently scrape and lift debris off furniture.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
No one had lost a penny or a brooch under the cushions of either sofa and remembered the place and time of the loss or the finding.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026
Backpacks, purses, laptop bags, camera bags, seat cushions and fanny packs.
—Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 11 Feb. 2026
Graphic cushions are the work of Pataxós artists; designs come from traditional body paintings.
—Stephanie Rafanelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Feb. 2026
The set includes two chairs with water-resistant seat cushions and a round table, perfect for morning tea or casual meals.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Feb. 2026
My outside furniture cushions and umbrella often have burn holes.
—Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
Meta and Google, whose profit mainly comes from digital advertising; Amazon, the largest online retailer and cloud-computing provider; and Microsoft, the biggest seller of business software, are each dominant in their industries and have ample cash cushions.
—Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 6 Feb. 2026
Kasey Caminiti, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026
In a healthy economy, the middle and working classes provide a floor of stable demand that cushions this volatility.
—Katica Roy, Fortune, 14 Jan. 2026
This structure cushions physical contact and detects impact forces in real time, improving safety during close human–robot interaction.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 13 Jan. 2026
In the example below, Matty Cash is pressed and goes long to Rogers, who, surrounded by three Tottenham players, deftly cushions the ball on his chest before flicking it back to John McGinn.
—Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
These are lined with cozy fleece and have a memory foam insole that cushions each step and contours to your foot shape for customized support.
—Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026
It’s made with a flexible and plush EVA midsole that cushions every step and absorbs shock keeping foot pain away.
—Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 22 Dec. 2025
The Litfun slippers are constructed with a thick memory foam footbed that gently cushions and supports your feet with each step, while the faux fur lining offers plenty of warmth for chilly days.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 18 Nov. 2025
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that occurs when the cartilage that cushions the ends of bones breaks down over time.
—Jakob Roze, Health, 31 Oct. 2025
Noun
Spray stains on your couch cushions or foam with an enzymatic cleaner that is designed to tackle urine (pet stores often sell these).
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 18 Feb. 2026
Crevice tools reach between cushions and around corners, while upholstery tools gently scrape and lift debris off furniture.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
No one had lost a penny or a brooch under the cushions of either sofa and remembered the place and time of the loss or the finding.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026
Backpacks, purses, laptop bags, camera bags, seat cushions and fanny packs.
—Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 11 Feb. 2026
Graphic cushions are the work of Pataxós artists; designs come from traditional body paintings.
—Stephanie Rafanelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Feb. 2026
The set includes two chairs with water-resistant seat cushions and a round table, perfect for morning tea or casual meals.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Feb. 2026
My outside furniture cushions and umbrella often have burn holes.
—Chicago Tribune, 7 Feb. 2026
Meta and Google, whose profit mainly comes from digital advertising; Amazon, the largest online retailer and cloud-computing provider; and Microsoft, the biggest seller of business software, are each dominant in their industries and have ample cash cushions.
—Bloomberg Wire, Dallas Morning News, 6 Feb. 2026
Verb
The egg-crate foam promotes airflow and cushions pressure points, and the zip-off cover is machine-washable for quick refreshes.
—Kasey Caminiti, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026
In a healthy economy, the middle and working classes provide a floor of stable demand that cushions this volatility.
—Katica Roy, Fortune, 14 Jan. 2026
This structure cushions physical contact and detects impact forces in real time, improving safety during close human–robot interaction.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 13 Jan. 2026
In the example below, Matty Cash is pressed and goes long to Rogers, who, surrounded by three Tottenham players, deftly cushions the ball on his chest before flicking it back to John McGinn.
—Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2026
These are lined with cozy fleece and have a memory foam insole that cushions each step and contours to your foot shape for customized support.
—Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026
It’s made with a flexible and plush EVA midsole that cushions every step and absorbs shock keeping foot pain away.
—Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 22 Dec. 2025
The Litfun slippers are constructed with a thick memory foam footbed that gently cushions and supports your feet with each step, while the faux fur lining offers plenty of warmth for chilly days.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 18 Nov. 2025
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that occurs when the cartilage that cushions the ends of bones breaks down over time.
—Jakob Roze, Health, 31 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cushions
Noun
-
This is because perspective-taking buffers escalation.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
-
While the top 20% spends paper gains, the bottom 80% is currently financing groceries with shadow debt, having fully depleted their pandemic-era savings buffers.—
Katica Roy,
Fortune,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The reason that toum works better than fresh garlic is because toum is made by blending fresh garlic with olive oil until the garlic becomes suspended in thick, emulsified foam that softens the garlic’s sharp flavor.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Each is made in Scotland, where a wash in pure local spring water softens the yarns even further.—
Eric Twardzik,
Robb Report,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
What ingredients are common in Korean toner pads?—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
15 Feb. 2026
-
New infrastructure, such as landing pads and charging stations, will support this growth.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The bumpers are designed for durability and recyclability, while wipe-clean surfaces and all-weather tyres as standard encourage use rather than preciousness.—
Fergus Scholes,
TheWeek,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The anodized exterior trim bits return for a bit of visual interest, and Subaru also redesigned the Wilderness’ front and rear bumpers.—
Byron Hurd,
The Drive,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
None of these are permanent shields.—
Matt Shumer,
Fortune,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Come next spring, shields and masks will no longer be confined to weekend getaways in the great outdoors.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The bike features aluminum fenders, a bottle cage mount, and extra mounting points on the fork for carrying touring or bikepacking gear.—
Stefan Ionescu
February 13,
New Atlas,
13 Feb. 2026
-
First shown in 1947 at the Villa d’Este Gold Cup, and later at the Paris Motor Show, the Cisitalia 202 was unlike anything seen before, featuring a curvaceous shape whose hoodline was lower than the fenders.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Such cocoons would trap most of the radiation generated near black holes.—
Charles Q. Choi,
Space.com,
14 Jan. 2026
-
But for the LRDs, that ultraviolet light would filter through their cocoons, trickling out as visible light and creating the characteristic red hue.—
Lee Billings,
Scientific American,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cushions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cushions. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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