building block

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.

That causes the molecule to crack into hydrogen and ethylene, the basic building block of plastics such as polyethylene.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

Before the clash, there was a sense that a positive performance in Madrid could be used as a building block for Tudor before a crucial game at Liverpool in the Premier League this weekend.

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026

As any sports psychologist can tell you, it’s a fundamental building block for success.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2026

It’s the first building block, the thing that quietly dictates how the rest of the week will unfold.

From Salon • Jan. 11, 2026

This method is based on the slow decay of radioactive carbon 14, a very minor component of carbon, the ubiquitous building block of life, into the nonradioactive isotope nitrogen 14.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond