1
as in sustaining
to hold up or serve as a foundation for
a brace buttressed the wall
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in reinforcing
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 buttressing
Wilson has set about buttressing football operations.
—
Chris Waugh, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
The competition with China will hinge not on mimicking Beijing’s methods but on buttressing the core strengths of the United States.
—Lael Brainard, Foreign Affairs, 10 Nov. 2025
Traffic among higher-income shoppers has grown, Kempczinski added, buttressing the company’s revenue.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2025
The upstream glaciers, now without their buttressing support, flow faster toward the sea.
—Evan Howell, Quanta Magazine, 20 Oct. 2025
Any good Marxist can tell you that the ruling class of any nation will frequently make social concessions as a way of buttressing its brute political power with moral credibility.
—Book Marks
august 7, Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2025
Any good Marxist can tell you that the ruling class of any nation will frequently make social concessions as a way of buttressing its brute political power with moral credibility.
—Andrea Long Chu, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2025
Chris Waugh, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
The competition with China will hinge not on mimicking Beijing’s methods but on buttressing the core strengths of the United States.
—Lael Brainard, Foreign Affairs, 10 Nov. 2025
Traffic among higher-income shoppers has grown, Kempczinski added, buttressing the company’s revenue.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2025
The upstream glaciers, now without their buttressing support, flow faster toward the sea.
—Evan Howell, Quanta Magazine, 20 Oct. 2025
Any good Marxist can tell you that the ruling class of any nation will frequently make social concessions as a way of buttressing its brute political power with moral credibility.
—Book Marks
august 7, Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2025
Any good Marxist can tell you that the ruling class of any nation will frequently make social concessions as a way of buttressing its brute political power with moral credibility.
—Andrea Long Chu, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buttressing
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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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
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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
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
Cite this Entry
“Buttressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buttressing. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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