bulwark
Strong protective barrier
A bulwark is a defensive wall or barrier, originally the solid part of a ship's side that extends above the deck to prevent people and cargo from washing overboard.
From this nautical and military sense comes the more common figurative use: anything that serves as a strong defense or protection against harm or unwanted change.
The constitution serves as a bulwark against tyranny.
She considered her savings a bulwark against hard times.
Fortified defensive wall
- bastionFortified defensive position
- citadelFortified urban stronghold
- fortressHeavily defended military structure
- strongholdFortified place of defense
parapet · battlement · redoubt · stockade · palisade · garrison · entrenchment · watchtower
Precaution against harm
- shieldHandheld defensive armor
- defenseProtection against harm
- bufferProtective intermediate space
- guardianProtective caretaker of another
sentinel · security · barrier · preservation · insurance · watchdog · custodian · preventive
Primary source of support
- pillarUpright architectural support
- backboneVertebral column, or courage
- foundationUnderlying support structure
- cornerstoneFoundational building block
anchor · bedrock · buttress · underpinning · reinforcement · keystone · linchpin · prop
rampart
Fortified defensive wall
- bastionFortified defensive position
- citadelFortified urban stronghold
- fortressHeavily defended military structure
stronghold · parapet · battlement · redoubt · stockade · palisade · garrison · entrenchment · watchtower · blockhouse
safeguard
Precaution against harm
guardian · sentinel · security · barrier · preservation · insurance · watchdog · custodian · preventive · warden
mainstay
Primary source of support
- pillarUpright architectural support
- backboneVertebral column, or courage
- foundationUnderlying support structure
cornerstone · anchor · bedrock · buttress · underpinning · reinforcement · keystone · linchpin · prop · brace
gunwale
Ship's side top edge
deck · bow · stern · portside · starboard · forecastle · gangway · topsides · shipside · planking
- defensedefense, defending, protecting, protection, security
- barrierswalls, wall, fences, fence, barrier
- castle partsmoat, keep, drawbridge, battlement, tower
- defenseswall, walls, fence, gate, barrier
- fortificationsfort, fortress, fortresses, citadel, citadels
- protective barriersbarrier, fence, gate, wall, guardrail
bulwarkvulnerability
Openness to harm
weakness · exposure · breach · liability · Achilles heel
bulwarkattack
Aggressive act against another
assault · aggression · threat · siege · bombardment
bulwarkcapitulation
Complete yielding to demands
surrender · submission · yield · collapse · capitulate