bolstering

VERB

help

Synonyms

STRONGEST

aid boost buoy buttress cushion help maintain reinforce shore up strengthen support sustain

STRONG

assist brace bulwark carry pillow prop stay uphold

WEAK

bear up buck up hold up pick up

Antonyms

STRONGEST

block decrease discourage halt hinder hurt injure let down neglect obstruct stop undermine weaken

WEAK

not support prevent

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This accompanied the news that the State Department is bolstering a South Florida disaster-preparedness supply center.

From Salon • May 12, 2026

Kim said this year will mark an “unprecedented upgrade” in bolstering North Korea’s military capabilities as he accelerates the modernization of his conventional forces on land and at sea.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

Pyongyang closed its borders in January 2020 to stop the spread of the coronavirus, with research and media reports indicating that the diplomatically isolated nation spent subsequent years bolstering security along its frontiers.

From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026

This could include raising the agricultural minimum wage, increasing the California Employment Development Department’s program oversight capacity, and bolstering legal protections for undocumented farmworkers organizing for better working conditions.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

The two theories had to be congenitally linked—each bolstering and completing the other.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee