BUTTRESS Synonyms: 74 Similar and Opposite Words

buttress 1 of 2

noun

ˈbə-trəs

Definition of buttress

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

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

buttress

2 of 2

verb

as in to sustain

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

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

Noun

Sulaeman said that a tanker carrying fuel to Bali suffered an anchor problem while preparing to unload cargo, delaying deliveries to the island’s main fuel terminals.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
After starting out in Canadian radio in the 1960s, Morrison joined the CTV Network in 1973 as a correspondent, producer and eventually a news anchor.

— Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of anchor

Verb

The work is intended to help transfer specialized nuclear-submarine design knowledge, improve technical coordination and strengthen the industrial capabilities required to build and sustain advanced submarines over their operational lifetimes.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
Expect winds to be sustained winds of 20-25mph with gusts of 30-40mph possible and humidity low overnight recoveries of 30-35% will drop to 15-20% through the morning.

— CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of sustain

Verb

Matt Schnaars, president of platform distribution and partnerships for NBCUniversal, reinforced Shapiro’s observations in a separate session.

— Leo Barraclough, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
The audience response has reinforced interest in experiencing independent films on the big screen and helped inform ABFF’s expansion into theatrical distribution.

— Brent Lang, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of reinforce

Noun

But as that approach began to deliver diminishing returns, and freely available human data started to dry up, the labs have leaned much more on post-training and reinforcement learning.

— Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
The researchers trained the machine using reinforcement learning, enabling it to navigate obstacles and perform dynamic movements.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of reinforcement

Verb

The absence of Karoline Vitto — who bolstered the curve representation last season in London — was palpably felt.

— Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2026
Such moves are typical of presidential hopefuls from both parties seeking to bolster their alliances nationwide.

— Matthew Choi, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of bolster

Noun

Zelenskyy said that Kyiv was investigating sudden speed restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Starshield, the military-grade version of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, which is the backbone of Ukraine’s drone operations and communication.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Network is the backbone of Ukraine’s drone operations Starshield is the backbone of Ukraine’s drone operations.

— Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of backbone

Browse Nearby Words

button (up)

buttress

buttressed

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Style

“Buttress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buttress. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of buttress

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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