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bulwark

bulwark

11 8.6
A strong wall built to protect a place like a city or ship
  • noun
  • /ˈbʊlwɜrk/
translation icon : bastión
  • An inerrant Bible, once the guarantor of the promise of salvation, became a bulwark against secular worldviews.
  • bulwark of liberty
  • bulwark against tyranny
  • bulwark of stability

So they set up a kind of defensive bulwark to keep the Dragons out.

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Examples

  • Pakistan was hailed during the 1950s as a frontline bulwark against communist expansionism.

    Academic text (2003)
  • On the formal level, tenure appears to be the bulwark of academic freedom.

    Academic text (1995)
  • Taken as a whole, the wall is a bulwark against historical trauma and a new form of history.

    Academic text (2011)
  • When the Indians made their final charge, they broke through our bulwark into our circle.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • So they set up a kind of defensive bulwark to keep the Dragons out.

  • And part of the founding of the EU was to be a bulwark against the communist countries to the east.

  • We were a bulwark against Bolshevism.

  • The Sixth Amendment right to counsel is an essential bulwark of fairness in our criminal justice system.

    Academic text (2017)
  • Reagan assiduously courted the kingdom as a bulwark for Western defense of the Persian Gulf oil fields.

    Academic text (1991)
  • The ancient fortress served as a bulwark against enemy attacks throughout the centuries.

Synonyms

wall
vsbulwark
1.0

A vertical structure that divides or surrounds an area, like part of a building

serves as a strong protective barrier against danger or attack
barricade
vsbulwark
83 4.8

A barrier put up to block a road or entrance

is a more permanent, structural protective wall rather than a temporary block
seawall
vsbulwark
  • Specialized
14 3.9

A strong wall built along the shore to protect land from the sea

is broader, protecting places or vessels from attack or other dangers
rampart
vsbulwark
12 8.8

A wide wall of earth or stone that protects a castle

is similar but can also refer to protection of coasts or ships
jetty
vsbulwark
10 5.1

A long wall that goes from the shore into the sea to protect the coast from waves

is more general, covering all strong protective walls not only harbour works
fortification
vsbulwark
9 6.6

A wall or earth mound built to protect a place from attack

is the specific strong wall or barrier protecting a site or vessel
breakwater
vsbulwark
  • Specialized
5 6.4

A wall built out into the sea to protect a coast or harbor from waves

is a general strong protective wall rather than an offshore wave break
retaining wall
vsbulwark
  • Specialized
5 4.4

A wall built to hold back soil or water on one side

is aimed at protection from attacks or dangers rather than structural support
bastion
vsbulwark
  • Specialized
5 8.3

A strong part of a fort that sticks out for protection

is the whole protective wall rather than a specific projecting defensive part
mole
vsbulwark
  • UK
1 7.7

A long stone or concrete wall built out from the shore to stop strong waves

is similar but can apply to many defensive locations, not only harbors
groin
vsbulwark
  • Specialized
1 9.1

A wall built from the shore into the sea to stop sand washing away

covers wider protective purposes beyond controlling sediment and erosion
floodwall
vsbulwark
1 4.4

A high wall that stops flood water from entering an area

is broader, protecting against many dangers not only flooding
line of defense
vsbulwark
  • US
1 3.3

A wall or barrier that protects against attack

is the concrete strong wall form used for such defence in many settings
groyne
vsbulwark
  • UK
1 9.9

A low stone or concrete wall that sticks out from a beach to stop the sea from washing away sand

focuses more broadly on protection from attack or danger, not just erosion
1 3.9

A building or wall built to protect a place from attack

is a particular strong protective wall rather than any protective building
protective embankment
vsbulwark
  • Specialized
7.5

A steep slope in front of a fort made by people that protects it from attack

is a direct protective wall rather than an earth slope in front of defences

Antonyms

156 5.1

A state of being easily harmed physically or emotionally

133 1.4

Lack of physical or mental strength that makes someone less able to act

Compounds

A thing like a school or library that helps people stay informed

An organization or person that defends human rights

How Protective

fortress
106 4.4
stronghold
64 5.5
bastion
  • Specialized
5 8.3
bulwark
11 8.6
barrier
163 2.8
wall
1.0

Surface Forms

bulwark singular
bulwarks plural

Etymology

Bulwark comes from old Dutch and German parts bol 'log' and -werk 'work' (like English 'work'), so it originally meant a 'work of logs' or a defence made from wood. That's why a bulwark is a strong wall or barrier built to protect a place.