flying buttress

noun

Definition of flying buttressnext
as in buttress

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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 flying buttress The console takes a page from Corvette with a flying buttress separating driver from passenger — doubling as an Oh, Crap! — Tribune News Service, cleveland, 5 Mar. 2022 An aerodynamic channel in the rear pillar creates a flying buttress, while the roof is painted black. — Caleb Miller, Car and Driver, 11 Nov. 2021 Details – rose windows, gargoyles, flying buttresses – came gradually. — Mike Hughes, Cincinnati.com, 26 Apr. 2020 The vault is punctured by three gaping holes, and the flying buttresses are propped up by giant wooden blocks. — Aurelien Breeden, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2020 See All Example Sentences for flying buttress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flying buttress
  1. buttress
  2. pedestal
  3. needle
Noun
  • With their swollen, flaring buttresses and soaring heights of 80 feet or more, the trees are awe-inspiring when reflected in the dark water.
    — Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 25 July 2026
  • Mahama stressed the need for African governments to cut waste and improve governance as a buttress against increasingly frequent international shocks because a return to the old system of global support is very unlikely.
    — Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 5 June 2026
Definition of buttress
Noun
  • The suspect removes a hammer from his pocket and repeatedly strikes the statue before knocking it off its pedestal.
    — Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The statue’s head snaps off, falls from the pedestal to the ground and rolls to the vandal’s feet.
    — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of pedestal
Noun
  • Sony clearly wants to thread the needle of appropriately characterizing the new film while stoking audience nostalgia for its counterpart.
    — Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The doctor controls the blade or needle under high magnification.
    — Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of needle

Browse Nearby Words

flying at
flying buttress
flying buttresses
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Cite this Entry

“Flying buttress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flying%20buttress. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on flying buttress

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about flying buttress

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