n. 25B6; noun
stone buttresses : PROP, support, abutment, shore, pier, reinforcement, stanchion.
a buttress against social collapse : SAFEGUARD, defence, protection, guard; support, prop; bulwark.
25B6; verb authority was buttressed by religion : STRENGTHEN, reinforce, fortify, support, bolster, shore up, underpin, cement, uphold, defend, back up.