bul·wark
ˈbu̇l-(ˌ)wərk 
-ˌwȯrk;
ˈbəl-(ˌ)wərk;
sense 3 also ˈbə-ˌläk
1
a
: a solid wall-like structure raised for defense : rampart
b
: breakwater, seawall
building a bulwark in the harbor
2
: a strong support or protection
democratic principles that stand as a bulwark against tyranny
a bulwark of freedom
3
nautical
: the side of a ship above the upper deck
—usually used in plural
bulwarked; bulwarking; bulwarks
: to fortify or safeguard with a bulwark
ability to bulwark a moral choice—
Margaret Mead
Margaret MeadSynonyms
Examples of bulwark in a Sentence
Noun
democratic principles that stand as a bulwark against tyranny
Verb
vowed to use any means necessary to bulwark the country against a terrorist attack
Recent Examples on the Web
Fatima Abdulkarim, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Nov. 2024
Her defeat in Pennsylvania—long considered her must-win bulwark—will probably lead to years of second-guessing her decision to bypass the state’s popular governor, Josh Shapiro, as her Vice-Presidential running mate, in favor of Tim Walz, the governor of safely Democratic Minnesota.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2024
Hua Hsu, The New Yorker, 16 June 2024
This makes Iraq a weak but vital ally and bulwark against Iranian influence.
—Michael Wahid Hanna, Foreign Affairs, 14 Feb. 2019
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Noun
And in that way, Palestinians hope, Saudi Arabia can act as a bulwark against Israeli policies favoring annexation and against the more extreme members of the new Trump administration.
—Fatima Abdulkarim, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Nov. 2024
Her defeat in Pennsylvania—long considered her must-win bulwark—will probably lead to years of second-guessing her decision to bypass the state’s popular governor, Josh Shapiro, as her Vice-Presidential running mate, in favor of Tim Walz, the governor of safely Democratic Minnesota.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2024
Verb
These were not men like Elon Musk fretting about virility as some bulwark against extinction.
—Hua Hsu, The New Yorker, 16 June 2024
This makes Iraq a weak but vital ally and bulwark against Iranian influence.
—Michael Wahid Hanna, Foreign Affairs, 14 Feb. 2019
See all Example Sentences for bulwark
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Cite this Entry
“Bulwark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bulwark. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
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