Illustration of buttress
- buttress 1
1
architecture : a projecting structure of masonry or wood for supporting or giving stability to a wall or building
2
: something that resembles a buttress: such as
a
: a projecting part of a mountain or hill
b
biology : a horny protuberance on a horse's hoof at the heel
see hoof illustration
c
botany : the broadened base of a tree trunk or a thickened vertical part of it
3
: something that supports or strengthens
a buttress of the cause of peace
buttressed; buttressing; buttresses
architecture : to give support or stability to (a wall or building) with a projecting structure of masonry or wood : to furnish or shore up with a buttress (see buttress entry 1 sense 1)
Did you know?
The word buttress first budded in the world of architecture during the 14th century, when it was used to describe an exterior support that projects from a wall to resist the sideways force, called thrust, created by the load on an arch or roof. The word ultimately comes from the Anglo-French verb buter, meaning "to thrust." Buter is also the source of our verb butt, meaning "to thrust, push, or strike with the head or horns." Buttress developed figurative use relatively soon after its adoption, being applied to anything that supports or strengthens something else. No buts about it: the world would not be the same without buttresses.
Examples of buttress in a Sentence
Noun the mother had always been the buttress of our family in trying times after the wall collapsed, the construction company agreed to rebuild it with a buttress Verb The treaty will buttress the cause of peace. The theory has been buttressed by the results of the experiment.
Recent Examples on the Web
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
Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026 At the time, analysts said Patel’s reported moves buttressed Swalwell’s image as a stalwart anti-Trump figure in the governor’s race. —Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 16 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for buttress
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.
Noun
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
Verb
But if this one is not, Patel’s lawyers would seek discovery to buttress their claims, legal experts told CNN. —Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026 At the time, analysts said Patel’s reported moves buttressed Swalwell’s image as a stalwart anti-Trump figure in the governor’s race. —Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 16 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for buttress
Cite this Entry
“Buttress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/buttress. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
buttress
1 of 2 noun
but·tress ˈbə-trəs 
1
: a structure built against a wall or building to give support and strength
2
: something that supports, props, or strengthens
buttress
2 of 2 verb
: to support with or as if with a buttress
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