pillars

noun

plural of pillar
1
as in pilasters
an upright shaft that supports an overhead structure the ancient Greek temple boasted graceful marble pillars with richly ornamented tops

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in anchors
something or someone to which one looks for support my father has been my pillar throughout this crisis

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 pillars The living space would be elevated on pillars with parking and storage underneath — a common design along the coast. — Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 8 Aug. 2026 This blueprint needs to be built around three fundamental pillars. — Michael Posner, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 Musk pointed to each of the three business lines as part of the pillars of the company that will fuel what would have to be 10x growth in three or four years to hit his $1 trillion revenue projection. — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2026 Communication has been one of their pillars since purchasing the inn, a Tudor-style home built in 1906. — Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 2 Aug. 2026 Dior’s men’s fragrance business revolves around two modern pillars—Sauvage and Homme—and the prolific Kurkdjian thinks about the two pillars as neighboring territories. — Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 1 Aug. 2026 ScreenshotA complaint that appears to have been filed on July 8, 2021, through the county's SeeClickFix, or 311, online reporting system described cracking and chipping concrete pillars in the building's underground parking garage. — Drew Aunkst, CBS News, 31 July 2026 Inroads with the American streamers has been one of ITV Studios’ pillars of growth for several years. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 30 July 2026 The pillars, particularly the D-pillar, are more upright than any Audi SUV in history. — Joel Feder, The Drive, 29 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pillars
  1. pilasters
  2. anchors
  3. columns
  4. backbones
Noun
  • The small saints on side pilasters were sold off on the antiques market.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Even now, its fins and pilasters adorn plenty of new construction, and in real-estate-speak, the phrase is code for high class.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 8 June 2026
Definition of pilasters
Noun
  • The disruption extended far beyond the classroom, leaving communities to absorb the loss of institutions that had long served as neighborhood anchors.
    — Richard Fowler, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Defensive tackles Tyrique Tucker and Mario Landino return as anchors inside, while the Hoosiers also added Kansas State edge transfer Tobi Osunsanmi from the transfer portal.
    — Christopher Kamrani, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of anchors
Noun
  • As the dry season approaches, (The Trek North, May – July) millions of animals form massive columns and travel northwest toward the Grumeti River.
    — Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Newspapers got into the game as a way to boost circulation, inventing such things as comics and columns that addressed the concerns of the troubled.
    — Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of columns
Noun
  • Look under rocks for macroinvertebrates (animals without backbones, like stoneflies).
    — Carl R. Gold, Baltimore Sun, 18 June 2026
  • Data centers also need to be close enough to users and network backbones to provide fast digital services.
    — Sven Bilén, The Conversation, 16 June 2026
Definition of backbones

Browse Nearby Words

pillar
pillars
pillbox
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Cite this Entry

“Pillars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pillars. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of pillars for Spanish Speakers

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