1
as in sustaining
to hold up or serve as a foundation for
used additional beams to bolster the ceiling
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in reinforcing
to provide evidence or information for (as a claim or idea)
a couple of tournament wins would bolster the extravagant claims that have been made on behalf of the young golfer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bolstering
The National Women’s Soccer League is bolstering its executive ranks with two key hires as the league continues its rapid growth.
—
Kennedy French, Variety, 1 Apr. 2026
The government in Budapest alleged money laundering—a charge bolstering its claims that Ukrainians are engaged in funny business beyond their borders.
—Isaac Stanley-Becker, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2026
Supporters of the former governor argued Sliwa did not have a chance of winning and only divided the anti-Mamdani coalition, bolstering Mamdani’s chances.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Democratic Senators Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire) and Jacky Rosen (Nevada) and Republican Senators John Curtis (Utah) and Thom Tillis (North Carolina) on Monday met with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te at the start of a two-day trip focused on bolstering the two sides’ informal ties.
—ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
Overall, the song retains Farley’s rustic, unpolished sense of connection, while bolstering it with a more full-bodied sound.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 30 Mar. 2026
For much of the last decade, a steady, often robust flow of immigrants into the county has been critical to bolstering San Diego’s sometimes sluggish population growth as more and more locals packed their bags and moved to other parts of the country.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
Riverworks will focus on bolstering the Beerline Trail, an old railway converted into a recreation path for residents.
—Everett Eaton, jsonline.com, 26 Mar. 2026
Security strengthens as finance-conscious Venus conjoins fertile Chiron in your 2nd House of Logistics, bolstering your capacity to be practical without losing that characteristic Pisces whimsy.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 26 Mar. 2026
Kennedy French, Variety, 1 Apr. 2026
The government in Budapest alleged money laundering—a charge bolstering its claims that Ukrainians are engaged in funny business beyond their borders.
—Isaac Stanley-Becker, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2026
Supporters of the former governor argued Sliwa did not have a chance of winning and only divided the anti-Mamdani coalition, bolstering Mamdani’s chances.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Democratic Senators Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire) and Jacky Rosen (Nevada) and Republican Senators John Curtis (Utah) and Thom Tillis (North Carolina) on Monday met with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te at the start of a two-day trip focused on bolstering the two sides’ informal ties.
—ABC News, 30 Mar. 2026
Overall, the song retains Farley’s rustic, unpolished sense of connection, while bolstering it with a more full-bodied sound.
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 30 Mar. 2026
For much of the last decade, a steady, often robust flow of immigrants into the county has been critical to bolstering San Diego’s sometimes sluggish population growth as more and more locals packed their bags and moved to other parts of the country.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
Riverworks will focus on bolstering the Beerline Trail, an old railway converted into a recreation path for residents.
—Everett Eaton, jsonline.com, 26 Mar. 2026
Security strengthens as finance-conscious Venus conjoins fertile Chiron in your 2nd House of Logistics, bolstering your capacity to be practical without losing that characteristic Pisces whimsy.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 26 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bolstering
Verb
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And yet Kyoto is also a modern city with modern comforts, where people live and work amid the legacy of centuries, sustaining and sustained by a living heritage.—
Jessica Kozuka,
Travel + Leisure,
3 Apr. 2026
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Over the next five decades, Florentino waits for Fermina, sustaining his devotion by writing her hundreds of letters.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Larkin found that Muslim viewers in Kano reinterpreted Bollywood films through an Islamic moral lens, reading their narratives as reinforcing local values of propriety and ethical conduct.—
Gareth Barkin,
The Conversation,
2 Apr. 2026
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The video includes scenes from across the actress’s career as well as glimpses of her personal life, reinforcing her status as one of Hollywood’s most recognizable figures.—
Claire Dodds,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The United States Powered Paragliding Association and Experimental Aircraft Association have written letters supporting the ultralight pilots in their fight against the county airport, as cited in the documents under review for the FAA’s upcoming decision.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
4 Apr. 2026
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Curators pop up in famous artists’ biographies all the time, usually as handmaidens to the creator’s genius, opening a door to a gallery here or supporting a grant application there.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In Rome, Pope Leo XIV observed the first Good Friday of his papacy by carrying a wooden cross for all of the 14 stations of the Way of the Cross, marking the first time in decades that a pope carried the cross to every station.—
Victor Jacobo,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
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Kelley makes a play for Göring’s trust by befriending his wife and daughter and carrying letters to them, against all regulations.—
Alice Kaplan,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Colorado Court of Appeals issued a ruling that threw out former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters' sentence, while still upholding her conviction for orchestrating a security breach of her own election system.—
Chierstin Roth,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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Courts, however, have consistently rejected or sidestepped those 14th Amendment claims over the past quarter century, while almost uniformly upholding the policy interpretation.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Choose a pot that’s about 1 to 2 inches larger than the root ball to keep extra soil from staying damp for too long.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
5 Apr. 2026
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Peck added that this foyer, staying true to colonial architectural traditions, also has a beautiful open stairway to the second floor landing, which overlooks the entry, and offers easy access to the formal living room on one side and a study on the other.—
James Alexander,
Hartford Courant,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bolstering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bolstering. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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