buttress 1 of 2

noun

ˈbə-trəs How to pronounce buttress (audio)
Definition of buttressnext
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

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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

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buttress

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to sustain
to hold up or serve as a foundation for a brace buttressed the wall

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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

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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 buttress
Noun
Researchers have been concerned that without their icy buttresses, these walls could collapse. — Megan I. Gannon, Scientific American, 6 May 2026 Three setbacks provide space for landscaped terraces, and at these floors, the structural columns slope inward, becoming tall buttresses that reintegrate into the latticework. — Adam Williams april 21, New Atlas, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
Kansas City is buttressed by the 6th Congressional District to the north and the 4th Congressional District to the south. — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 11 Sep. 2026 Ballard is entering his 10th season at the helm of the Colts, but his job security isn’t buttressed by his resume. — James Boyd, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for buttress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buttress
  1. anchor
  2. support
  3. sustain
  4. reinforce
  5. pillar
  6. reinforcement
  7. bolster
  8. backbone
Noun
  • Broadcaster, journalist, Today anchor and avid Wordle player Savannah Guthrie is set to host.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Meta needs its personal agent to be an anchor app for the company, which has been trailing competitors like OpenAI and Google in the red-hot AI market.
    — Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of anchor
Noun
  • Families may continue a pregnancy, deliver their baby, hold and comfort their child, create memories and receive bereavement support.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Between 2005 and 2024, Chinese firms received, on average, three to eight times more government support than firms in OECD countries.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of support
Verb
  • Its extended takes were conceived from the outset to sustain the audience’s emotional involvement.
    — Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Asked whether companies could sustain strong profit growth in the third quarter, Dalio said investors should focus on free cash flow rather than earnings alone.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of sustain
Verb
  • The experience reinforced her belief that Vancouver has plenty of animation talent, but still needs more infrastructure for independent creators.
    — Katherine Brodsky, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Its amino-acid complex helps smooth and strengthen strands from the inside out, while amaranth extract reinforces fragile hair and baobab extract helps improve elasticity and bounce.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of reinforce
Noun
  • The officer stops at the pillar between the car’s windows, such that the driver must crane their neck backward to make eye contact and could only open fire awkwardly.
    — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • For generations, American streets and parks showcased the tall, stately pillars of rows and rows of elm trees.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of pillar
Noun
  • Benchmarks like this would identify where agents break down in complex financial workflows, then turn those failure modes into reinforcement-learning environments.
    — Wen Shao, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Millions of German troops were tied down fighting on the Eastern Front and in Italy, but Hitler had a million more elsewhere in Europe to use as reinforcements, as well as the troops of Axis partners.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of reinforcement
Verb
  • Hospitals bolster their side by hiring risk adjustment specialists and employing AI tools, while health insurers hire payment integrity specialists and employ different AI tools.
    — Leah Pierson, STAT, 6 Oct. 2026
  • During the past decade, Moscow has sought to bolster its influence in the region by hosting regular consultations on Afghanistan involving senior representatives of the Taliban and neighboring nations.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of bolster
Noun
  • The house and its grounds form the backbone of filming locations, though certain spaces on the property were either too cramped or did not provide the right lighting for film production.
    — Juliet Izon, Architectural Digest, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The agency had to completely overhaul its outdated technological backbone, Patel told Fox News Digital.
    — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of backbone

Browse Nearby Words

button (up)
buttress
buttressed
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Cite this Entry

“Buttress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buttress. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on buttress

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about buttress

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