bulwarks

Fortifications against attack

Bulwarks are defensive walls or ramparts, especially fortifications made of earth or solid material.

The word extends to anything serving as protection or defense: The bill of rights stands as a bulwark against tyranny.

On ships, bulwarks are the sides of a vessel above the upper deck, forming a barrier against the sea.

The verb means to fortify or protect.

fortification

rampart

Fortified defensive wall

bastionFortified defensive position
parapetLow wall at edge
battlementToothed fortress wall crown

palisade · redoubt · stockade · citadel · fortress · stronghold · earthwork · embankment · breastwork · barricade

protection

safeguard

Precaution against harm

shieldHandheld defensive armor
defenseProtection against harm
bufferProtective intermediate space

guard · security · barrier · refuge · sanctuary · mainstay · cornerstone · pillar · foundation · backbone

Categories

defenseswall, fence, gate, barrier, barriers
fortificationsfort, fortress, fortresses, citadel, citadels
ship partshull, keel, deck, mast, bow
reliablesmainstays, staples, standbys, stalwarts, dependables
military engineeringengineers, combat engineer, combat engineers, sappers, sapper
ship deck partscapstan, windlass, companionways, railings, scuppers

Opposites

defensive integrity

bulwarksbreaches

Breaks or violations

gaps · openings · weak points · vulnerabilities · cracks

protective function

bulwarksthreats

Declarations of intended harm

exposures · dangers · hazards · perils · menaces

structural role

bulwarksweak spots

Points easily exploited

entry points · access points · portals · inlets · passages

Family

bulwark, bulwarked

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G