as in members
one of the parts that make up a whole
historically the infantry division has been a basic building block of armies
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Recent Examples of building blocks
Players like Buium, Tom Willander and Liam Öhgren may be building blocks, perhaps, but the reality is that this process is beginning without any surefire cornerstone pieces in place.
—
Thomas Drance, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Such a meal should include a good source of protein, such as eggs, in order to stock up on or refuel depleted amino acids, including cysteine and methionine, which are building blocks for protective antioxidants.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 17 Mar. 2026
Every day, practice, period, rep, snap and second are building blocks to something bigger.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2026
Arginine is an amino acid (which are building blocks of proteins) that helps protect hair whereas the lipids help to protect the hair against thermal and UV damage from styling.
—Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 7 Feb. 2026
The e-skin is made from magnetic patches that fit together like building blocks.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 12 Jan. 2026
But for this team, there’s building blocks for sure.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 3 Jan. 2026
The scene came in a fictional segment parodying Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead in which Maggie defends her architectural talents after her daycare teacher punishes her for making beautiful structures from building blocks.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Dec. 2025
The ecstasy of love and the fear of passing poison through one’s blood are, for Dijon, building blocks as elemental as drums.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 8 Dec. 2025
Thomas Drance, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Such a meal should include a good source of protein, such as eggs, in order to stock up on or refuel depleted amino acids, including cysteine and methionine, which are building blocks for protective antioxidants.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 17 Mar. 2026
Every day, practice, period, rep, snap and second are building blocks to something bigger.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Mar. 2026
Arginine is an amino acid (which are building blocks of proteins) that helps protect hair whereas the lipids help to protect the hair against thermal and UV damage from styling.
—Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 7 Feb. 2026
The e-skin is made from magnetic patches that fit together like building blocks.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 12 Jan. 2026
But for this team, there’s building blocks for sure.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 3 Jan. 2026
The scene came in a fictional segment parodying Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead in which Maggie defends her architectural talents after her daycare teacher punishes her for making beautiful structures from building blocks.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Dec. 2025
The ecstasy of love and the fear of passing poison through one’s blood are, for Dijon, building blocks as elemental as drums.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 8 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for building blocks
Noun
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News of the troop withdrawal drew swift condemnation from Democrats in Congress and members of a hawkish Washington think tank.—
Ben Finley,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
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Carly will modify her design according to the needs of future exhibitions, which include shows with Karen Kilimnik and Joseph Geagan; the latter’s will incorporate portraits of members of the Vegas scene, Carly among them.—
Olivia Kan-Sperling,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
The World Health Organization lists age, obesity, alcohol and tobacco use and family history as factors that contribute to breast cancer.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
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On the House floor, Persons-Mulicka sidestepped specifics about what factors went into the map.—
Bill Barrow,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Reduce mixer speed to low and with motor running, add dry ingredients and banana mixture in 2 batches each, alternating between batches and mixing 30 seconds after each addition before adding the next.—
Shilpa Uskokovic,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
28 Apr. 2026
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Most of the staff are politely, if coolly, efficient, but there were a couple of more gregarious waitstaff at the restaurant who were happily chatting with diners, explaining the provenance of various ingredients.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Skydio’s investment will pour $1 billion into boosting domestic production of vital parts and components used to build drones.—
Itzel Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
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Those high-power memory components have become harder to obtain as the proliferation of artificial intelligence drives up demand for the hardware.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Instead, incorporate key elements of the architectural style into your outdoor design by mirroring its features in the colors, textures, and flourishes of hardscaping and furniture.—
Kelly Dawson,
Architectural Digest,
28 Apr. 2026
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Other nods to motorsport include carbon fiber elements, red accents, and a custom windshield frame in Ferrari’s famous Giallo Modena yellow.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Building blocks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/building%20blocks. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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