ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary Builder›Words›B›bulwark
ISEE/SSAThard
bulwark
strong defense or protection against danger, pressure, or attack
Synonyms
- safeguard
- defense
- rampart
Antonyms
- weakness
- exposure
- vulnerability
bulwark in a sentence
An independent press can serve as a bulwark against abuses of power.
The fortress wall remained the city's chief bulwark against invading armies.
Where it comes from
From Middle Dutch bolwerc, meaning 'defensive wall.'
Memory hook
BULWARK sounds like 'bull work': a strong bull stands like a barrier against attack.
Read it in context
- The Unsmoothed Voice Narrative