subterranean

adjective sub·ter·ra·nean \ ˌsəb-tə-ˈrā-nē-ən , -nyən \

variants: or less commonly subterraneous play \-nē-əs, -nyəs\

Definition of subterranean

1 :being, lying, or operating under the surface of the earth

2 :existing or working in secret :hidden

a subterranean network of criminals

—

subterraneanly

or less commonly subterraneously adverb

See subterranean defined for English-language learners

See subterranean defined for kids

Examples of subterranean in a Sentence

a subterranean bunker that supposedly could withstand even an atomic blast

Recent Examples of subterranean from the Web

Even in the middle of a city, the subterranean world is thriving.

— adrian higgins, idahostatesman, "The zoo beneath our feet: We’re only beginning to understand soil’s hidden world," 23 Aug. 2017
Conventional accounts of the continental-plate system describe vast islands of rock drifting on a hidden subterranean sea of magma.

— robinson meyer, The Atlantic, "A Thorny Debate in Plate Tectonics May Finally Be Resolved," 21 Aug. 2017
The two men had reportedly crossed paths with Hernandez at Cure Lounge, a subterranean club on Tremont Street in Boston.

— alex french, Esquire, "The Man Who Knows Aaron Hernandez's Secrets," 15 Aug. 2017
On the boundary between Earth’s core and its mantle sit 10 to 20 blobs of rock that are nothing like the rest of our world’s subterranean realm.

— giorgia guglielmi, Science | AAAS, "Top stories: The fate of the Canaanites, lava’s likely origins, and the hidden history of old books," 28 July 2017
China clearly enjoys the subterranean tensions among Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United States.

— victor davis hanson, National Review, "The Korean Games of Thrones," 25 July 2017
In the case of Harshu Sethi and her maid, Johra Bibi, in Noida on Wednesday, the clash was Alfred Hitchcock-grade, awakening subterranean anxieties about the true relationship between the rich and the poor.

— ellen barry, The Seattle Times, "A maid’s feud in India flares into class war," 15 July 2017
The castle has its own chapel, guard rooms, subterranean passages from its time as a fortress, and a massive kitchen that appears to have remained largely unchanged for the better part of 300 years.

— james tarmy, Bloomberg.com, "Own a 1,000-Year Old Castle in France for $17 Million," 11 July 2017
The nonprofit group that has transformed the former streetcar tunnels under Dupont Circle into a subterranean art space is trying to fundraise for expansion, Rachel Chason reports.

— james hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: Trump aides learn the perils of speaking for a president who changes his story," 10 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'subterranean.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Go Underground With subterranean

A tunnel is a subterranean road or pathway, and a subway is a subterranean railway. The subterranean vaults at Fort Knox hold billions of dollars of gold reserves. Subterranean reservoirs called aquifers are tapped for water; in places where the pressure on the subterranean water is great enough, a hole drilled in the ground will bring it bubbling to the surface.