subterranean

play

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

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
The subterranean stems also occasionally send up flower stems (aka peduncles).

— kenneth setzer, miamiherald, "Weed’s tale: the beguiling marsh pennywort," 6 July 2017
Much of the project, however, focused on subterranean infrastructure fixes.

— by karen ridder, kansascity.com, "New look on the Old Liberty Square," 30 June 2017
Underground exploits Musk has been delighting followers of his subterranean adventures by posting various videos including the one above showing how the system could work.

— trevor mogg, Fox News, "Elon Musk's boring update suggests drilling work is well and truly under way," 29 June 2017
Twenty-three such boxes were filled when LACMA, the tar pits’ neighbor, built a subterranean parking lot in the aughts.

— matthew segal, Los Angeles Magazine, "La Brea Tar Pits Museum Bracing for a Flood of Fossils This Summer," 26 June 2017
It’s easier to deliver, to sell it, conspicuously; the tougher course involves delivering in unexpected and subterranean ways.

— michael phillips, idahostatesman, "Demetri Martin plays mild-mannered son mired in grief in ‘Dean’," 15 June 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.