buttresses 1 of 2

noun

plural of buttress
1
as in anchors
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 pillars
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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buttresses

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of buttress
1
as in supports
to hold up or serve as a foundation for a brace buttressed the wall

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2
as in reinforces
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 buttresses
Noun
With their swollen, flaring buttresses and soaring heights of 80 feet or more, the trees are awe-inspiring when reflected in the dark water. — Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 25 July 2026 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 Arches and natural bridges sweep like buttresses from jumbles of rock, giving this landscape a mystical, cathedral-like quality. — Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026 There were also some spider-like buttresses for the London streets. — Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Dec. 2023
Verb
The document filed by the Justice Department in the Los Angeles Superior Court case led by plaintiffs Todd and Kimberley Ferrier — whose Pacific Palisades home burned down — buttresses arguments made by the victims’ attorneys. — Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026 That very insight further buttresses the need for a grand strategy. — James B. Steinberg, Foreign Affairs, 9 June 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buttresses
  1. anchors
  2. pillars
  3. supports
  4. reinforces
  5. backbones
  6. shores
  7. sustains
  8. bolsters
Noun
  • Depending on the route, manufacturers can add protective layers and steel-wire armoring to help the cable withstand demanding conditions, particularly in shallower waters where anchors and fishing equipment pose greater risks.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Rising in hexagonal or octagonal forms amidst low-rise dwellings, these pagodas stand as emotional anchors of hometown memory.
    — Footwear News, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of anchors
Noun
  • The 53-year-old is looking to make a statement, paying homage to hip-hop’s roots and pillars with his next project.
    — Michael Saponara, Billboard, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The three pillars of regenerative agriculture Here’s an easy way to picture it.
    — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of pillars
Verb
  • Jackson supports expanding the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps certain homeowners and renters with energy costs.
    — Maydeen Merino, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The integrated workflow also supports maintenance and repair, helping the team identify hardware issues and return robots to testing faster.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of supports
Verb
  • As performance cars increasingly isolate drivers from the mechanical process of driving, the simple act of reaching for that unique shift knob reinforces the notion that the tactile pleasures of driving are still worth celebrating.
    — Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Tom Pelphrey’s recent Emmy win for Task only reinforces that view, as do the flourishing careers of Lewis Pullman and Imogen Poots.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of reinforces
Noun
  • The structural backbones of the phalanges are 3D-printed from PLA, while soft silicone interfaces provide friction and compliance when the fingers contact a branch.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2026
  • More specifically, insects are invertebrates (animals without backbones) and are part of the arthropod phylum, which also includes spiders, crabs, and centipedes.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of backbones
Noun
  • Many other countries and even continents would kill to have this level of ingenuity on their shores.
    — Sarah Cannon, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Several merchant ships carrying grain and other civilian cargo were struck by drones – widely viewed as Russian – off the shores of two NATO members, Bulgaria and Romania.
    — the Monitor's Editorial Board, Christian Science Monitor, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of shores
Verb
  • This difference influences how nuclear fuel behaves and how a reactor sustains fission.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
  • In this account, its processing does not intrinsically continue the fourfold coherence through which nature sustains intelligence.
    — Pravir Malik, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of sustains
Verb
  • Vlad Dyakonov bolsters Trojans With various starters injured, younger players have filled the gaps for the Trojans.
    — Sean Campbell, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Some requests were for DeepSeek’s technology, a finding that bolsters assertions from Congress that the company is in bed with the CCP’s military and spying apparatus.
    — Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of bolsters

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buttresses
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Cite this Entry

“Buttresses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buttresses. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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