as in members
one of the parts that make up a whole
historically the infantry division has been a basic building block of armies
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Recent Examples of building blocks
These nanoglobules act as building blocks, and they’re held in a stable, liquid state.
—
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 9 May 2026
In the video, Bill Riley, a vice president of Starship engineering, cast endeavors like SpaceX's smaller Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets, as well as its Dragon spacecraft that travels in orbit, as building blocks to the grander unveiling of Starship.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 1 May 2026
Now, as a study in Nature Communications reports, Curiosity may not have only found conditions that could have hosted life, but chemicals that, on Earth at least, are building blocks of biology.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 21 Apr. 2026
Players like Buium, Tom Willander and Liam Öhgren may be building blocks, perhaps, but the reality is that this process is beginning without any surefire cornerstone pieces in place.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Such a meal should include a good source of protein, such as eggs, in order to stock up on or refuel depleted amino acids, including cysteine and methionine, which are building blocks for protective antioxidants.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 17 Mar. 2026
Every day, practice, period, rep, snap and second are building blocks to something bigger.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2026
Arginine is an amino acid (which are building blocks of proteins) that helps protect hair whereas the lipids help to protect the hair against thermal and UV damage from styling.
—Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 7 Feb. 2026
The e-skin is made from magnetic patches that fit together like building blocks.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 12 Jan. 2026
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 9 May 2026
In the video, Bill Riley, a vice president of Starship engineering, cast endeavors like SpaceX's smaller Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets, as well as its Dragon spacecraft that travels in orbit, as building blocks to the grander unveiling of Starship.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 1 May 2026
Now, as a study in Nature Communications reports, Curiosity may not have only found conditions that could have hosted life, but chemicals that, on Earth at least, are building blocks of biology.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 21 Apr. 2026
Players like Buium, Tom Willander and Liam Öhgren may be building blocks, perhaps, but the reality is that this process is beginning without any surefire cornerstone pieces in place.
—Thomas Drance, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Such a meal should include a good source of protein, such as eggs, in order to stock up on or refuel depleted amino acids, including cysteine and methionine, which are building blocks for protective antioxidants.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 17 Mar. 2026
Every day, practice, period, rep, snap and second are building blocks to something bigger.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2026
Arginine is an amino acid (which are building blocks of proteins) that helps protect hair whereas the lipids help to protect the hair against thermal and UV damage from styling.
—Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 7 Feb. 2026
The e-skin is made from magnetic patches that fit together like building blocks.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 12 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for building blocks
Noun
-
However, Parker’s leadership and city officials maintain that the plans are years in the making and a result of conversations with community members.—
Kate Perez,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
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Three Rock rises to the occasion But the members of Three Rock are eager to prove their mettle, especially Hartman (Simon Auclair), whose jealousy over Ace's graduation earlier this season left him with a massive chip on his shoulder.—
Britt Hayes,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 May 2026
Noun
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Of all the factors that could sway Giannis, with all due respect to Bam, the respect element likely is not at the top of the list.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
15 May 2026
-
Eligibility depends on factors like employment status, retirement, and financial independence, and applicants must also hold a long-term stay visa.—
Taryn White,
Travel + Leisure,
14 May 2026
Noun
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These ingredients are used in Ana Mandara’s farm-to-table meals, spa products, and custom fragrances.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 May 2026
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The rising cost of alcohol is pushing even those who want to drink to do so less; $20 cocktails are too rich for most consumers’ wallets, Bloomberg noted, leading to the rise of more affordable versions using less expensive ingredients.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
19 May 2026
Noun
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Lynch said such deals can cost up to $5 million annually and include as many as 60 components.—
Luke Connors,
Washington Post,
19 May 2026
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Defense Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said that the government had issued a formal notice of demand to Kongsberg following the cancellation, which blocked the delivery of the Naval Strike Missile, or NSM, system, and launcher components that Malaysia had already largely paid for.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
On paper, certain design elements shouldn’t make sense, like the vine wallpaper mixed with cloth foliage fabric wall coverings, or the houndstooth wallpaper in a bathroom that’s already an alchemy of half a dozen different tile patterns.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 May 2026
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The collaboration features shield motifs along with chain link elements for jewelry.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Building blocks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/building%20blocks. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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