buttressing

verb

present participle of buttress
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of buttressing Veteran starter Lucas Giolito joined the organization last week, buttressing a shallow rotation. — Dennis Lin, New York Times, 27 Apr. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buttressing
  1. sustaining
  2. reinforcing
  3. supporting
  4. bolstering
  5. carrying
  6. upholding
Verb
  • Senior local official Dagnachew Azbite told the BBC that seven people had been found injured, with five of the victims sustaining serious injuries.
    — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Injury news Cristobal also announced Tuesday that tight end Luka Gilbert is out for the season after sustaining an injury at home over the offseason.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of sustaining
Verb
  • Notably, American family offices themselves actually increased home-country allocation from 86% to 88%, reinforcing Patterson’s diversification framing over one of outright flight.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 29 July 2026
  • Rather than concentrating education at a single point in time, scaffolding supports individuals through a sequence of decisions, building understanding gradually and reinforcing it in context.
    — Debby Moorman, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of reinforcing
Verb
  • Kenneth Dale Richardson was arrested by Lewisville police in the 1200 block of northbound Interstate Highway 35 East after a witness called to report a reckless driver, according to an affidavit supporting the arrest.
    — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 July 2026
  • There’s no new scientific information supporting that the virus might instead have leaked from a laboratory, a theory Paul champions.
    — Lauran Neergaard, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
Definition of supporting
Verb
  • The Twins would love to enhance their position by further bolstering the bullpen.
    — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The study further demonstrates that bolstering SORLA has potential as a therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer’s disease and other tauopathies (a group of brain disorders defined by the buildup of abnormal tau protein).
    — Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 July 2026
Definition of bolstering
Verb
  • Churchill Downs races will be televised on NBC with Fox carrying the New York racing television coverage.
    — Danny Brewer, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The last flight carrying 146 Venezuelans landed in Venezuela just hours before the disaster struck.
    — Rocio Munoz, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of carrying
Verb
  • Sumrall, though, is focused on developing talent and upholding high standards.
    — Tom Layberger, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
  • After the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem, interpreters understood Temple service broadly in terms of study, prayer, and upholding the commandments.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 July 2026
Definition of upholding

Browse Nearby Words

buttresses
buttressing
butts
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Cite this Entry

“Buttressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buttressing. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on buttressing

Nglish: Translation of buttressing for Spanish Speakers

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