bulwark

American  

[bool-werk, -wawrk, buhl-] / ˈbʊl wərk, -wɔrk, ˈbʌl- /

noun

1. a wall of earth or other material built for defense; rampart.

2. any protection against external danger, injury, or annoyance.

   The new dam was a bulwark against future floods.

3. any person or thing giving strong support or encouragement in time of need, danger, or doubt.

   Religion was his bulwark.

   Synonyms:

   mainstay, buttress, support

4. Nautical. Usually bulwarks. a solid wall enclosing the perimeter of a weather or main deck for the protection of persons or objects on deck.

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verb (used with object)

1. to fortify or protect with a bulwark; secure by or as if by a fortification.

bulwark British  

/ ˈbʊlwək /

noun

1. a wall or similar structure used as a fortification; rampart

2. a person or thing acting as a defence against injury, annoyance, etc

3. (often plural) nautical a solid vertical fencelike structure along the outward sides of a deck

4. a breakwater or mole

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verb

1. (tr) to defend or fortify with or as if with a bulwark

Etymology

Origin of bulwark

1375–1425; late Middle English bulwerk, probably < Middle Dutch bolwerc, equivalent to bol ( l ) e bole ¹ + werk work (noun); cf. boulevard

Explanation

A bulwark is a wall built for protection or defense. If you and your pals build a secret fort for girls only, you might want to build a bulwark to surround it — with a "No Boys Allowed" sign posted prominently. A seawall that runs perpendicular to the shore is sometimes called a bulwark, because it defends the beach, not against invaders, but against beach erosion. Although the noun bulwark can refer to any fortified wall, it often specifically refers to an earthen wall, like a rampart. As a verb, bulwark means to fortify with a wall or to provide protection: "The volunteers used sandbags to bulwark the levee in an attempt to prevent the flooded river from overflowing its banks."

Example Sentences

Kathryn Murdoch also has invested in the Bulwark, a fast-growing digital news startup for opponents of President Trump.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

Guest: Will Sommer, senior reporter at the Bulwark.

From Slate • Nov. 18, 2025

The couple met on dating app Hinge, "so there is still hope in those dating apps," Mamdani said in an interview with The Bulwark.

From BBC • Nov. 5, 2025

As the Bulwark pointed out, there was 2023 e-outrage over Cracker Barrel’s acknowledgment of Pride month, which included a rainbow-themed rocking chair and some corporate-speak about “diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging at Cracker Barrel.”

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 22, 2025

I arrived at the "Bulwark" exhausted, and, as there was no other way of escape, ran over a firm broad plank walk toward the nearest ship, with the whole pack after me.

From The German Classics of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, Volume 12 by Various

Related Words

• bastion
• fortress
• mainstay
• redoubt