building block

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

That causes the molecule to crack into hydrogen and ethylene, the basic building block of plastics such as polyethylene.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

Speaking to TNT Sports, returning captain John McGinn suggested that the result had provided Villa with a "building block" and the opportunity to "reset" after a difficult few weeks.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

“And it was such a building block for so many other things in my life.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 1, 2026

A 30-second hello builds immediate rapport — it turns strangers into friendly faces and makes a building, block, or street feel safer and more human.

From Salon • Jan. 27, 2026

This method is based on the slow decay of radioactive carbon 14, a very minor component of carbon, the ubiquitous building block of life, into the nonradioactive isotope nitrogen 14.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond