BUTTRESSING Synonyms: 30 Similar and Opposite Words

buttressing

verb

present participle of buttress

as in sustaining

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 The second phase started Tuesday as crews began reinforcing the slope by buttressing it at the base and armoring it with rocks to hinder slope movement and erosion. — Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026 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

Verb

Dieffenbach made the big play after sustaining an apparent leg injury on a hard hit late in the first half.

— Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
Rutgers starting quarterback Dylan Lonergan left after sustaining a blow to the head 6 minutes, 25 seconds into the first quarter and didn’t return.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of sustaining

Verb

The event highlights Greece’s efforts to enhance its maritime strike capabilities while reinforcing its strategic partnership with Israel amid an increasingly complex security environment in the Eastern Mediterranean.

— Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026
The proposal came days after Kim Jong Un's powerful sister visited front-line areas where North Korean troops are reinforcing the border.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of reinforcing

Verb

With roaring support from a packed crowd, Macklemore launched his Free Palestine Tour in Ireland’s capital Monday, just over a month after he was controversially dropped as Ed Sheeran’s supporting act.

— Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 27 Oct. 2026
Attorneys general from 39 states and the District of Columbia have filed an amicus brief supporting New Jersey’s case against Kalshi.

— Josh Appel, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of supporting

Verb

The party recently named New Mexico as one of the earliest states for its next presidential primary, bolstering its prominence in national politics and ensuring more visits from White House hopefuls.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
After bolstering the management of its fashion business, Kering is shaking up its creative director ranks, with the departure of Anthony Vaccarello at Saint Laurent and Seán McGirr at Alexander McQueen.

— Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of bolstering

Verb

Protesters, many of whom have been seen carrying Palestinian flags, have set fire to historic buildings and attacked civilians.

— Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 20 Oct. 2026
Mitchell Fairbarn was captured on surveillance video carrying the 27-year-old Chilean flamingo, Peachy, to his room after removing the bird from its enclosure at the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino in March.

— Victoria Bisset, Washington Post, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of carrying

Verb

Courts, however, have ruled otherwise, upholding both Sullivans’ spots on the ballot.

— Michael Kunzelman, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
By contrast, the CJP considers peaceful protest, along with upholding the country’s constitution, essential elements of democracy.

— Amrita Basu, The Conversation, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of upholding

Browse Nearby Words

buttresses

buttressing

butts

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Style

“Buttressing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buttressing. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of buttressing

verb

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