bolster
To support something and make it stronger.
bolster in a sentence
- A mug of hot chocolate helped bolster Zara's courage before the spelling test.
- Sandbags were stacked along the riverbank to bolster the flood wall and make it stronger.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to bolster?
- Areduce
- Bsupport
- Cweaken
- Dharm
Show the answer
B: support. The other three mean the opposite of bolster.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to bolster?
- Asupport
- Bhelp
- Cweaken
- Dboost
Show the answer
C: weaken. The other three mean nearly the same as bolster.
Words that mean something similar
support, boost, help
Words that mean the opposite
weaken, harm, reduce
More words about movement & action
- brandish: To wave something around in an excited or threatening way.
- brisk: Quick and full of energy.
- buoyant: Able to float, or feeling light and cheerful.
- capsize: To tip over in the water.
- careering: Rushing forward very fast and out of control.
- cascade: To pour or tumble downwards like a waterfall; or a tumbling fall of something.
- clamber: To climb using your hands and feet in an awkward way.
- collide: To crash into something.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test