as in basic
of or relating to the simplest facts or theories of a subject
the underlying differences between democracy and dictatorship
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in supporting
to lie underneath
A layer of rock underlies the topsoil.
Related Words
2
as in grounding
to form the basis or foundation of (something, such as an idea)
The assumption that underlies their argument is faulty.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of underlying
Jeffrey Prang, Daily News, 23 Jan. 2026
The underlying notion that you can easily get lost in the shuffle if your devotees aren’t consistently seeing and hearing from you animates a modern pop landscape that’s overflowing with appeals for sustained attention.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 23 Jan. 2026
Jack Perry, The Providence Journal, 8 Jan. 2026
The underlying stats aren’t great (Penix ranked 25th in EPA per dropback across nine starts in 2025) and his health is no guarantee after an ACL tear in late November — the fifth season-ending injury in his last eight years of football.
—Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for underlying
Adjective
When the Legislature declined to act, the underlying problem did not disappear.
—Jeffrey Prang, Daily News, 23 Jan. 2026
The underlying notion that you can easily get lost in the shuffle if your devotees aren’t consistently seeing and hearing from you animates a modern pop landscape that’s overflowing with appeals for sustained attention.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 23 Jan. 2026
Verb
Avoid contact with others during that time, especially older adults and people with underlying health conditions.
—Jack Perry, The Providence Journal, 8 Jan. 2026
The underlying stats aren’t great (Penix ranked 25th in EPA per dropback across nine starts in 2025) and his health is no guarantee after an ACL tear in late November — the fifth season-ending injury in his last eight years of football.
—Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for underlying
Recent Examples of Synonyms for underlying
Adjective
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At that point, the operator would recite the most intimate details of a patient’s health history to hook her before launching into a few basic screening questions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Ross argued that allowing local police to provide basic crowd control — rather than restricting coordination — could have reduced risks during recent confrontations.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Uhlaender has even said that some Canadian athletes are privately supporting her in this battle.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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The main cast is a bit too Hollywood to complement the movie’s outsider spirit (even if Wilde and Hoffman are fully on board with the Araki of it all), and — Wonders notwithstanding — the supporting players aren’t given much of a chance to compensate for that.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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That means search firms grounding their search processes and committees in lived experience, boards committing to governance alignment and presidential support, and funders willing to align expectations with institutional reality.—
Essence,
Essence,
27 Jan. 2026
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Similar to meditation, every four-minute session feels calming and grounding, and is a great way to start my days.—
Jessie Quinn,
Flow Space,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Early warning is rudimentary and community liaison mechanisms are flimsy.—
Obi Anyadike,
semafor.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The federal student loan program lacks even rudimentary safeguards common in the private sector.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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There is a way that this could have been done better, utilizing visual storytelling, establishing atmosphere and a sense of place that could have given a sense of the music, its large appeal and the circumstances that shaped it, while also allowing JayDee to shine in his own way.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
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Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are widely credited with establishing the market through their weekly GLP-1 injections for obesity and diabetes, which have surged in popularity in recent years.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
In elementary education, many students have suffered from unscientific reading strategies.—
Ryan Craig,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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The trading cards were first developed in Japan in 1996 and had early international success as a lunch-hour activity for elementary-school kids.—
Clio Chang,
Curbed,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Nations that can reliably power the infrastructure underpinning advanced technologies will hold structural advantages in the 21st century.—
Güney Yıldız,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Legal challenges to constitutional doctrines underpinning the modern American administrative state wend their way through increasingly sympathetic courts, promising sweeping changes to the ways our most important institutions act.—
Walter Russell Mead,
The Atlantic,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In fact, the Dow Transports — comprised of 20 leading shipping, logistics, trucking, rail and airline companies — has set at least three all-time closing highs in January, reinforcing the rally that’s also carried the 30-stock Dow Jones Industrial Average to several record closes this month.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
22 Jan. 2026
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The rapid expansion of charging infrastructure is reinforcing growth in China’s EV market.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Underlying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/underlying. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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