as in shores
a structure that holds up or serves as a foundation for something else
the consulting architect suggested using additional steel reinforcements to counteract the bridge's design flaw
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Recent Examples of reinforcements
Even if Kraft plays in Week 1 and FitzPatrick re-signs and returns at some point in the first half of next season, the Packers might want to improve their reinforcements at the position.
—
Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
D’Alesio should be receiving reinforcements from the draft, though.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 31 Jan. 2026
The Dolphins could use some run-stuffing reinforcements such as Hunter, someone who isn’t much of a pass rusher but eats up space and figures to serve as an effective early-down player.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 29 Jan. 2026
The Bucks have been eyeing Kings guard Zach LaVine as a trade target while looking add reinforcements around Antetokounmpo, but those talks are probably dead whether Milwaukee moves Antetokounmpo now or waits until this summer.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 28 Jan. 2026
The end of the truce came as government forces had been sending reinforcements to Syria’s northeast.
—Ghaith Alsayed, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2026
Gerard Martin is doing a fine job of partnering Pau Cubarsi in that area of the back line, and so too is Eric Garcia, but reinforcements are definitely needed.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
The force dispatched to the southern Helmand province – a Taliban stronghold and a center of opium production – initially comprised mostly British and Danish troops, before the US sent reinforcements in 2008.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
There better be some more reinforcements at linebacker, too, and the offense still needs another playmaker, preferably a very fast one.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 14 Jan. 2026
Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
D’Alesio should be receiving reinforcements from the draft, though.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 31 Jan. 2026
The Dolphins could use some run-stuffing reinforcements such as Hunter, someone who isn’t much of a pass rusher but eats up space and figures to serve as an effective early-down player.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 29 Jan. 2026
The Bucks have been eyeing Kings guard Zach LaVine as a trade target while looking add reinforcements around Antetokounmpo, but those talks are probably dead whether Milwaukee moves Antetokounmpo now or waits until this summer.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 28 Jan. 2026
The end of the truce came as government forces had been sending reinforcements to Syria’s northeast.
—Ghaith Alsayed, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2026
Gerard Martin is doing a fine job of partnering Pau Cubarsi in that area of the back line, and so too is Eric Garcia, but reinforcements are definitely needed.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
The force dispatched to the southern Helmand province – a Taliban stronghold and a center of opium production – initially comprised mostly British and Danish troops, before the US sent reinforcements in 2008.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 23 Jan. 2026
There better be some more reinforcements at linebacker, too, and the offense still needs another playmaker, preferably a very fast one.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 14 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reinforcements
Noun
-
Ice along some of Lake Superior's shoreline, Lake Huron's northern shores, the inner Saginaw Bay, and parts of northern Lake Michigan is more than 28 inches thick, researchers say.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
3 Feb. 2026
-
In season eight, that impulse carries Mallozzi from the shores of Cuba to the interior mountains of Taiwan and the heart of New Zealand’s Māori communities.—
Kat Chen,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Harmon frequently treks through the desert, wearing ankle braces and an orange safety vest, chatting with Border Patrol agents who appear to have taken to her.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
-
In anti-vaccine circles, the official story of polio—iron lungs, kids with leg braces, the triumph of Jonas Salk—has long been dismissed as misleading.—
Tom Bartlett,
The Atlantic,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Her son, Daniel, is on the autism spectrum, and Keane recalled a debate in the early 2010s over whether to increase funding for mental health supports.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
26 Jan. 2026
-
This refers to a series of policies in Mississippi that were focused on improving childhood literacy, including student supports, a focus on phonics, tutoring, accountability metrics and teacher training programs.—
Emma Murphy,
Oklahoma Voice,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The comparatively uptight Pari (Mahshad Bahraminejad) mounts nonlinear plays that depict the intrusion of political anxiety on everyday Iranian spaces.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Escondido is one of several San Diego County cities that have seen public demonstrations against ICE tactics in recent weeks as the violence mounts in Minnesota.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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
Noun
-
Prairie View Ranch in Morgan County CBS She recently sponsored a bill to help local governments fund the Arkansas Valley Conduit water pipeline, a 130-mile pipeline with spurs that would serve 39 communities and 50,000 people east of Pueblo.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
10 Jan. 2026
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Some say his spurs are still jingling down the hallway, chasing after her.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The forthcoming podcast will explore the moral, social, and philosophical underpinnings of human decency—with a particular focus on the role that institutions play in shaping communities and ideologies.—
The Atlantic,
The Atlantic,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Zoomed with Variety to talk about both the practical and theoretical underpinnings of this challenging achievement.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In an effort to reinforce DeSantis’s campaign against CAIR and other advocates for Palestinian human rights, several Florida legislators have introduced bills that could upend the foundations of the American criminal justice system.—
Hiba Rahim,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 Feb. 2026
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Any reckoning with the isolation and anxiety endemic to digital life necessitates a close examination of the infrastructure of communication, making one aware of the immediate and physical foundations of interaction.—
Theo Belci,
Artforum,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reinforcements.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reinforcements. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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