What does bulwark mean?
Word: Bulwark
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Bulwark means a strong wall or defence, or a person or thing that protects something.
Synonyms: bastion
How do you spell bulwark?
Syllables: bul - wark
Tricky part: The second half looks odd. Pupils expect it to end like the word work, so they write bulwork, but the vowel here is an a.
Watch out for: bulwork, bulwerk, bulwurk
Memory tip: Bark protects a tree, so let bark remind you how this word about protection finishes.
Bulwark in a sentence
Example 1: For many students, a strong library is a bulwark against bad information.
Example 2: Reading aloud to children is a bulwark against a fading love of books.
Example 3: The old stone wall was a bulwark between the riverside market and the rising water.
Fun Fact
On a ship, the bulwarks are the raised sides that run round the deck above the waterline. They help to keep the waves off the deck and the crew on it.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
bullwark
a) b
b) w
c) k
d) l
Show answer
d) l. Bull is a word, but this one does not begin with it.
Mingle-Mangle
Rearrange the jumbled letters in the sentence to form the right word:
The thick belt of mangroves is a natural uakwrbl against the sea for the coastal villages.
a) bulrush
b) bulkhead
c) bulwark
d) bullock
Show answer
c) bulwark. The w among the letters is the giveaway: the rival words have none.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word bulwark as used in the sentence:
The new sea wall stands as a bulwark against the high waves of the bay.
a) viewpoint
b) hazard
c) landmark
d) safeguard
Show answer
d) safeguard. A safeguard protects people and places, just as this wall does.
Spell-o-Spell
One word in the list is misspelt and three are spelt correctly. Choose what the misspelt word means.
1. canopy 2. bulwark 3. embankment 4. barier
a) a cover that hangs over something
b) a solid defence that keeps trouble out
c) something that blocks the way
d) a raised bank along a river or railway
Show answer
c) something that blocks the way. Barier has dropped an r; the right spelling is barrier.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Books, one writer says, are a bulwark against boredom. What does she mean?
a) Books keep boredom away
b) Books often cause boredom
c) Books describe boredom well
d) Books are full of boredom
Show answer
a) Books keep boredom away
2. Which person is acting as a bulwark for her hockey team?
a) the reporter who writes up each match
b) the fan who waves a flag in the top stand
c) the striker who is resting all this season
d) the goalkeeper who stops nearly every shot
Show answer
d) the goalkeeper who stops nearly every shot
