Noun There is a cushion under the rug to protect the floor. We didn't have a financial cushion when my husband lost his job. Verb The pile of leaves helped cushion his fall. The tax cut is meant to cushion the blow of soaring gas prices.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The remainder left him with a substantial financial cushion for his livelihood and future medical costs.Los Angeles Times, 27 July 2022 Consumer spending remains well above pre-Covid levels with household savings providing a cushion for future stress. Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 17 July 2022 That provided a little more cushion for the Tigers’ bullpen, which escaped a jam in the bottom of the frame. Tom Green | Tgreen@al.com, al, 20 June 2022 The program is required by law to have a six-month cushion of money for paying out benefits. Chris Lehman, oregonlive, 13 May 2022 Forward funding of education would have given schools needed stability and provided a cushion for future state spending, supporters argued. Iris Samuels, Anchorage Daily News, 10 May 2022 That protection can only come from a much higher ERP that drives down stock prices, and gives investors a bigger cushion of earnings for each dollar parked in their portfolios. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 4 May 2022 The eye-candy aspect alone could create so much cushion for Pittman Jr. and Taylor. Nate Atkins, The Indianapolis Star, 13 Apr. 2022 The lack of a cushion for simple mistakes adds a certain level of tension to the game since a single wrong move can mean a swift death. Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 23 Feb. 2022
Verb
When huge shocks like the current energy crisis strike, governments inevitably come under pressure to use their borrowing power to cushion the blow on working families. John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2022 White House press secretary Jen Psaki tried to preemptively cushion the blow of the report numbers on Monday. Ben Gittleson, ABC News, 12 Apr. 2022 Made with a medical-grade orthopedic foam, this calming dog bed is designed to cradle and support pressure points, provide neck and hip support, and help cushion sore joints. Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 17 Aug. 2022 The country is looking to extend an energy tariff shield beyond the end of 2022 to cushion its poorest households from surging wholesale prices, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said Saturday. Erin Prater, Fortune, 10 July 2022 So far, Russia has been able to cushion the blow from a drop-off in exports to Europe by attracting other customers with steep discounts. Julia Horowitz, CNN, 16 June 2022 Containing the rise in inflation is unlikely to completely cushion Russians from the economic damage caused by the war and the sanctions imposed by Western governments. Paul Hannon, WSJ, 8 June 2022 In March 2021, Democrats in Congress enacted the final piece of legislation designed to cushion Americans from the pandemic, the American Rescue Plan. Tim Fernholz, Quartz, 27 May 2022 In place of the usual cooling gel pools are microfins that cushion the skin from cuts, while a lubricated strip chases the blades for a calming finish. Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 9 May 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English cusshin, from Anglo-French cussin, quissin, from Vulgar Latin *coxinus, from Latin coxa hip — more at coxa