bolster

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "bolster" is correct and usable in written English.
It is a verb that means to support or strengthen something. Example sentence: To bolster the economy, the government increased its spending on infrastructure projects.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Jenkins waived his bonus for 2013, when the bank raised £5.8bn in a cash call to bolster its balance sheet.

The Guardian - Business

The budget underlined this plan, which means the amount of gross government debt outstanding will grow with the size of the economy, year in, year out, even when the government returns to surplus and the proceeds from asset sales flow to the government and bolster the headline cash budget balance.

The Guardian - Opinion

"We anticipate Glaxo will continue to build out its emerging-market infrastructure and bolster its consumer-health business as with recent deals to date".

The Guardian - Business

The coalition has already embarked on a series of attempts to bolster competition, including making it easier for new banks to be set up.

The Guardian - Business

A total of $32m in "offsets", to be paid by developers, will be required over 40 years to bolster the health of the reef and protect sea turtles.

The Guardian

He was in Rome, coaching a team in the Interreligious Match for Peace at the Stadio Olimpico organised by the Pope (his team lost 6-3), as back at the Arsenal training ground in Hertfordshire the club's negotiators were pulling out the stops to bolster one of the areas of the team in dire need of reinforcements.

The Guardian - Sport

The swift introduction of a target, in accordance with the advice of the committee on climate change, will help bolster confidence and attract investment in the UK's low-carbon supply chain and secure jobs in the industry".

The Guardian

His lasting achievement was to persuade Margaret Thatcher to establish the Anglo Irish agreement in 1985 which gave Dublin some say over Northern Ireland affairs and was meant to bolster northern nationalist confidence in constitutional politics.

The Guardian

Meanwhile, Spain and Ireland have contrived to push through reforms, bolster their banks, and move ahead.

The Guardian

Yellen expressed support for Ben Bernanke's efforts to make the Fed "a more open and transparent institution," and said she will also move to bolster the central bank's role as a regulator.

The Guardian - Business

Vodafone has held talks with Tesco about buying its loss-making video streaming service Blinkbox, as the telecoms company seeks to bolster its TV and content operation ahead of a launch into home broadband next year.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "bolster" when you want to emphasize the act of strengthening or supporting something to make it more effective or resilient. For example, "The new policies are designed to bolster the economy."

Common error

Avoid using "bolster" when you actually mean "replace". "Bolster" means to strengthen or support, not to substitute. For example, don't say "We need to bolster the old system with a new one" when you mean "We need to replace the old system with a new one".

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "bolster" is as a transitive verb. It requires a direct object, indicating what is being strengthened or supported. For example, Ludwig AI shows examples where "bolster" is used to describe strengthening balance sheets, competition, and confidence.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

68%

Formal & Business

20%

Science

12%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "bolster" is a versatile transitive verb used to describe the act of strengthening or supporting something. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it is grammatically correct and frequently appears in diverse contexts, particularly in news and business. When writing, remember that "bolster" means to reinforce, not to replace. Related alternatives include "reinforce", "strengthen", and "support". Its use conveys the intent to make something more robust or effective, ensuring its continued stability or improvement. The examples in Ludwig clearly show that "bolster" is often found in news and media to describe efforts to reinforce economies or similar situations.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

bolster up

Represents a phrasal verb version of the main query.

reinforce

Focuses on strengthening something already existing.

strengthen

A general term for making something stronger.

support

Emphasizes providing assistance or backing.

fortify

Suggests making something resistant to attack or difficulty.

buttress

Implies adding external support to reinforce something.

shore up

Indicates providing temporary or emergency support.

underpin

Focuses on providing a foundation or basis of support.

cement

Suggests solidifying or making something permanent.

prop up

Implies preventing something from collapsing or declining.

FAQs

How can I use "bolster" in a sentence?

You can use "bolster" to describe strengthening something, like "The company invested in marketing to "bolster" sales" or "The government implemented reforms to "bolster" the economy".

What can I say instead of "bolster"?

You can use alternatives like "reinforce", "strengthen", "support", or "fortify" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "bolster security" or "bolster the security"?

Both are correct, but "bolster the security" is more specific, implying you are referring to a particular security measure or system. "Bolster security" is more general.

What's the difference between "bolster" and "undermine"?

"Bolster" means to strengthen or support, while "undermine" means to weaken or sabotage. They are antonyms. For example, reforms "bolster" the economy, while corruption can "undermine" it.