1
as in anchor
something or someone to which one looks for support
the mother had always been the buttress of our family in trying times
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in support
a structure that holds up or serves as a foundation for something else
after the wall collapsed, the construction company agreed to rebuild it with a buttress
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
2
as in to reinforce
to provide evidence or information for (as a claim or idea)
a mass of circumstantial evidence buttresses the prosecutor's case
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of buttress
D. T. Max, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
Read our complete Istanbul travel guide here, which includes:
Skip to:
The Hagia Sophia and museum
From the outside, the Hagia Sophia is undeniably majestic—a seemingly floating central dome is flanked by four spear-like minarets and a buttress of weathered, pastel pink colored stone.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Aug. 2025
Alex Hutchinson, Outside, 25 Feb. 2026
Ridership has largely plateaued with the rise of work from home, and COVID emergency funds that helped buttress these agencies during the pandemic are now set to dry up.
—Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for buttress
Noun
In this era, ogival windows and flying buttresses would be more bracing than yet another thicket of computerized-looking shapes.
—D. T. Max, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
Read our complete Istanbul travel guide here, which includes:
Skip to:
The Hagia Sophia and museum
From the outside, the Hagia Sophia is undeniably majestic—a seemingly floating central dome is flanked by four spear-like minarets and a buttress of weathered, pastel pink colored stone.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Aug. 2025
Verb
There have been a few studies suggesting that Maurten’s version does indeed minimize GI problems and enhance endurance performance—not a huge body of evidence, but enough to buttress the widespread anecdotal tales of elite athletes relying on it.
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside, 25 Feb. 2026
Ridership has largely plateaued with the rise of work from home, and COVID emergency funds that helped buttress these agencies during the pandemic are now set to dry up.
—Rachel Swan, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for buttress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buttress
Noun
-
His legs felt like anchors dragging across the court.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The Asian Film Awards, an anchor event of Hong Kong’s Entertainment Expo, which usually takes place on the eve of Filmart, has canceled the main awards ceremony, citing the need to be low-key following last year’s Tai Po fire tragedy.—
Liz Shackleton,
Deadline,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Alcantara received plenty of support from his lineup in the form of four home runs and six strong innings from the bullpen tossed in a 7-5 win at Miami’s loanDepot park as the Dominican Republic went a perfect 4-0 in pool play.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Ecuador set to attack crime groups QUITO, Ecuador -- Ecuador will launch a major offensive against criminal organizations in three western provinces this weekend with logistical support from the United States, the interior minister said Wednesday.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Kabul said Pakistan hit two locations, including an empty security site and a drug rehabilitation center that sustained minor damage.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Mar. 2026
-
In October, Hurricane Melissa slammed into Cuba’s eastern province of Santiago de Cuba as a powerful Category 3 hurricane, with maximim sustained winds of nearly 120 mph.—
David Goodhue
March 16,
Miami Herald,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Adjust a subscription or renegotiate a small fee, then record the change, because tracking progress reinforces confidence and protects your careful planning.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Security around Jewish schools and other sites was reinforced after an explosion near a synagogue in Liege, Belgium, and a blast that caused a small fire at the entrance of a synagogue in the Dutch port city of Rotterdam on Friday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The latter, which upped the ante on Crystal and Ryan's already growing fame, has become a pillar of the American film canon.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
16 Mar. 2026
-
So this is really undercutting what is supposed to be a key pillar of their affordability message.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The drug not only bolstered dendrites but also improved the rats’ behaviors.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The recording bolsters the appearance that Nathan’s The Agency Group — a top PR shop in the entertainment industry whose clients have included Drake and Johnny Depp, and has frequently worked with Freedman — deployed websites featuring character-assassinating claims about Ghost.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
These short-form, mobile-first series are designed for speed, shareability and cultural specificity, with local casts and languages forming the backbone of production.—
Faye Bradley,
Variety,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Stretching more than 2,300 miles through 10 states, the Mississippi River forms the backbone of one of the most important economic corridors in America.—
Beatrice Peterson,
ABC News,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Both candidates pushed back by attacking Fine’s reinforcements.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
16 Mar. 2026
-
This can include making use of positive reinforcement and redirection.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Buttress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buttress. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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