1
: a long pillow or cushion
2
: a structural part designed to eliminate friction or provide support or bearing (see bearing sense 5)
Examples of bolster in a Sentence
Verb
She came with me to bolster my confidence.
a convincing argument that was bolstered by the speaker's reputation
She is thinking of ways to bolster her career.
Recent Examples on the Web
Julia Forbes, Wired News, 20 Sep. 2025
As with the no-hair theorem, the clearer signal from GW250114 further bolsters that earlier result.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2025
Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2025
And what may have been intended by the Kremlin as a way of bolstering its arguments over Ukraine, has possibly plunged us all into new, dangerous and unpredictable era.
—Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bolster
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Noun
The bolster is filled with buckwheat hulls that make some soft swishing noises (like the inside of a beanbag chair).
—Julia Forbes, Wired News, 20 Sep. 2025
As with the no-hair theorem, the clearer signal from GW250114 further bolsters that earlier result.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
Larger cyber startups are moving aggressively to bolster their product offerings for the evolving threat landscape.
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2025
And what may have been intended by the Kremlin as a way of bolstering its arguments over Ukraine, has possibly plunged us all into new, dangerous and unpredictable era.
—Matthew Chance, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bolster
Cite this Entry
“Bolster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bolster. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bolster
1 of 2 noun
bol·ster
ˈbōl-stər 
1
: a long pillow or cushion
2
: a structural part designed to eliminate friction or provide support
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