1. defensive walls or barriers built for protection
Usage: often used metaphorically
2. things that serve as strong defenses or supports against attack or harm
Usage: figurative use
3. the raised sides of a ship above the upper deck
Usage: nautical

Examples

• The ancient city’s stone bulwarks protected it from invaders.
• Education and healthcare serve as bulwarks against poverty.
• The constitution provides bulwarks for individual rights.
• Democratic institutions act as bulwarks against tyranny.
• The sailors leaned against the ship’s bulwarks to watch the sunset.
• Strong family values were the bulwarks of their community.
• The fortress had massive bulwarks on all sides.