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
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Recent Examples of pillars
As of last year, more than 140 countries had, in theory, agreed to the pillars.
—
Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Rich magenta hues fill the sky as distinct pillars also start to take form.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Theme parks, theaters and sporting events — Disney’s business pillars — went dark.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
The vast 180-acre Auberge property—which was modeled around the four blue zone pillars—is nestled amongst the dense flora and fauna of the rugged Talamanca Mountains.
—Mary Honkus, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Jan. 2026
Some of the steel pillars are suspended from above, while others are closer to the ground, forcing you to walk among them, through a steel labyrinth of racial terror.
—Clint Smith, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2026
Success will require treating these dual, interconnected forces as core pillars of business strategy – not add-ons.
—Mirek Dusek, Fortune, 19 Jan. 2026
The best examples of this style are seen at the Getty Villa peristyle gardens — a peristyle is a courtyard framed by colonnades or rows of pillars — in Malibu.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 17 Jan. 2026
Contemporary accounts speak to the cruelty and exploitation that were pillars of economies of the time.
—Valerie L. Myers, The Conversation, 8 Jan. 2026
Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Rich magenta hues fill the sky as distinct pillars also start to take form.
—Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Theme parks, theaters and sporting events — Disney’s business pillars — went dark.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026
The vast 180-acre Auberge property—which was modeled around the four blue zone pillars—is nestled amongst the dense flora and fauna of the rugged Talamanca Mountains.
—Mary Honkus, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Jan. 2026
Some of the steel pillars are suspended from above, while others are closer to the ground, forcing you to walk among them, through a steel labyrinth of racial terror.
—Clint Smith, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2026
Success will require treating these dual, interconnected forces as core pillars of business strategy – not add-ons.
—Mirek Dusek, Fortune, 19 Jan. 2026
The best examples of this style are seen at the Getty Villa peristyle gardens — a peristyle is a courtyard framed by colonnades or rows of pillars — in Malibu.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 17 Jan. 2026
Contemporary accounts speak to the cruelty and exploitation that were pillars of economies of the time.
—Valerie L. Myers, The Conversation, 8 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pillars
Noun
-
In the end, Laffrey, whose Broadway credits include Maybe Happy Ending and Parade, settled for using an iPhone app to record the size of pilasters and mullioned mirrors.—
Carey Purcell,
Architectural Digest,
27 Oct. 2025
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With pilasters, a limestone facade, and classic symmetrical design, the three-story building exemplifies the Beaux-Arts style popular at the turn of the 20th century, grand but not ostentatious.—
Irene S. Levine,
Forbes.com,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois, the co-anchors of evening news, left the company in December.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
28 Jan. 2026
-
End the struggle to remove drywall anchors with this helpful (and unexpected) hack.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Tucked on a hillside in the Rustic Canyon neighborhood, the house floats above a natural spring that flows through the property, resting on six concrete columns sunk 30 feet into the ground.—
Jack Flemming,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Massive columns, slender spires and impossibly balanced boulders loom above the timber.—
Roger Naylor,
AZCentral.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Many are Latin American or African immigrants working in the agricultural, tourism or service sectors, backbones of Spain’s booming economy.—
Renata Brito,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
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In the economy of tomorrow, community colleges and vocational-technical schools—optimized for true lifelong learning with apprenticeship and mentorship programs—will likely be the backbones of public and private education alike.—
Eric Holcomb,
Time,
16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pillars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pillars. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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