Synonyms of roots

roots 1 of 2

noun

plural of root

1

as in sources

a point or place at which something is invented or provided

he insists that insecurity is the root of all jealousy

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sources
• origins
• cradles
• fountains
• beginnings
• springs
• fonts
• wellsprings
• wells
• fountainheads
• seedbeds
• commencements
• geneses
• starts
• inceptions
• incipiencies
• outsets
• kickoffs
• baselines
• day ones
• thresholds
• launches
• incipiences
• nascencies
• first bases
• onsets
• ground zeros
• nascences
• dawns
• square ones
• get-goes
• mornings

2

as in origins

the source from which something grows or develops

one would need to go back at least several hundred years to find the root of the entrenched hostility between the neighboring nations

Synonyms & Similar Words

• origins
• beginnings
• seed
• germs
• starts
• geneses
• seedbeds
• originations
• fonts
• fountainheads
• fountains
• springs
• wells
• wellsprings
• inceptions
• launches
• wellheads
• commencements
• births
• thresholds
• onsets
• dawns
• inaugurations
• creations
• incipiencies
• outsets
• mornings

3

as in foundations

an immaterial thing upon which something else rests

an implicit trust in the wisdom of the people is the root of democracy

Synonyms & Similar Words

• foundations
• bases
• bases
• cornerstones
• bedrocks
• grounds
• underpinnings
• keystones
• warps
• footings
• premises
• theories
• shores
• essences
• bottoms
• groundworks
• cores
• warp and woofs
• foci
• assumptions
• substrata
• kernels
• supports
• frameworks
• hearts
• justifications
• backbones
• beds
• infrastructures
• props
• presumptions
• buttresses
• substructures
• centers
• presuppositions
• stays
• mounts
• braces
• theses
• bulwarks
• warrants
• anchorages
• nuclei
• rationales
• touchstones
• hubs
• suppositions
• seats
• eyes
• souls
• quintessences

4

as in essences

the central part or aspect of something under consideration

at root, it's a question of the proper limits, if any, of free speech

Synonyms & Similar Words

• essences
• hearts
• kernels
• cores
• points
• meats
• sums
• nuclei
• bottom lines
• themes
• nubs
• subjects
• pivots
• nets
• piths
• nubbins
• centerpieces
• meat and potatoes
• gists
• directions
• substances
• cruxes
• keynotes
• contents
• tenors
• bull's-eyes
• bodies
• courses
• drifts
• hypotheses
• theses
• propositions
• purports

roots

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of root

as in embeds

to set solidly in or as if in surrounding matter

rooted the post securely in the dirt

Synonyms & Similar Words

• embeds
• lodges
• beds
• places
• impacts
• implants
• entrenches
• sticks
• enroots
• puts
• ingrains
• fixes
• infuses
• drives (into)
• establishes
• beats (into)
• instills
• imbues
• settles

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• roots (out)
• eliminates
• uproots
• dislodges
• removes
• eradicates
• expels
• disconnects
• ejects
• detaches
• disengages

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of roots

Noun

As a city that is always negotiating with modernity, the tradition of jol khabar remains a comforting anchor, binding generations to their cultural roots and evoking nostalgia. —Madhushree Basu Roy, Saveur, 30 Apr. 2026

The ancient technique used by Indigenous farmers helps direct rainfall to their roots. —ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026

The modern American fair has roots stretching back more than two centuries, but the Midwest has made the format its own — turning agricultural exhibitions into massive entertainment events that define summers across the heartland. —Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2026

Constantly soggy soil suffocates roots and invites rot — the plant equivalent of trench foot. —Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 30 Apr. 2026

In the 2000s and 2010s especially, mindfulness started appearing throughout American culture, largely shorn of most Buddhist roots, and was applied to a wide variety of self-help subjects in publications and emblazoned on health food products. —Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Apr. 2026

London's Café Royal Grill has returned to its roots, with a seasonal menu and historic recipes. —Regan Stephens, Travel + Leisure, 30 Apr. 2026

Saturday’s bill is led by Orange County punk band the Offspring, along with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, reggae rock band Slightly Stoopid, roots rock band Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals and fellow reggae rock band Fortunate Youth. —Alex Distefano, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026

Head out for some free old-fashioned fun on Saturday, May 2 at the annual Rancho Days Fiesta at Heritage Hill, celebrating the roots of Orange County. —Marla Jo Fisher, Oc Register, 29 Apr. 2026

Verb

This is a high-spirited opening for curious neighbors and travelers alike, with a mischievous sense of fun that firmly roots guests in their destination. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026

Louisiana dirty rice is a tasty meat-and-rice dish that roots its flavor in aromatic Cajun seasoning and the holy trinity vegetables. —Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 12 Jan. 2026

For Pritchard, whose Stanford roots date back to 2005, the chance to return as head coach was both emotional and deeply personal. —Harold Gutmann, Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2025

Natural rock formations rise through the living room floor, a detail that roots the design in the hillside itself, and a full renovation of an existing home brought it in line with the style of the main house while still maintaining its own identity. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 23 Oct. 2025

Rising seas could swallow the land that roots our identity. —Feleti Penitala Teo, Time, 22 Sep. 2025

In a strong culture, everyone roots their daily decisions in a desire to be in it to win it; there's a sense of ownership, pride and belonging. —Alex Brueckmann, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025

As well, his longstanding appreciation of country music roots his art in respect and reverence of the genre's history. —Marcus K. Dowling, Nashville Tennessean, 7 Mar. 2025