Buttress: meaning, example and synonyms

Buttressv. To support or strengthen, especially an argument or claim.

Flashcard for Buttress (verb): to support or strengthen, especially an argument or claim. Example: The historian buttressed her argument with shipping records showing that the town's trade had collapsed years before the war began. Synonyms: support, bolster, reinforce, strengthen. Antonyms: undermine, weaken, refute, contradict. Memory tip: A buttress props up a cathedral wall; evidence props up an argument. Illustration: a gothic cathedral wall held up by stone flying buttresses.

Example

The historian buttressed her argument with shipping records showing that the town's trade had collapsed years before the war began.

Part of speech
verb
Synonyms
support, bolster, reinforce, strengthen
Antonyms
undermine, weaken, refute, contradict
Memory tip
A buttress props up a cathedral wall; evidence props up an argument.

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Check yourself: Buttress in context

Pick the word that best completes each text, as on the SAT's words-in-context questions.

Question 1

To ______ his claim that the canal had shaped the town's growth, the economist presented maps showing new businesses clustering along its banks.

Question 2

The lawyer ______ her case with testimony from three independent witnesses, each describing the same sequence of events.

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