roots 1 of 2

plural of root
1
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

3
4

roots

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of root

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of roots
Noun
Stowe, Vermont Residents of storybook-pretty Stowe are committed to maintaining the region’s rural roots, and visitors reap the benefits with a wealth of still-wild landscapes. Allison Tibaldi, USA Today, 20 Sep. 2025 Beyond television, Chase has returned to his stage roots with roles in the Broadway revivals of Kiss Me, Kate (2019) and Once Upon a Mattress (2024). Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Sep. 2025 The track has roots harkening back to Don Reno, Red Smiley and The Tennessee Cutups in 1956, plus being favored by another teenage performer turned eventual Country Music Hall of Famer, Marty Stuart. Marcus K. Dowling, Nashville Tennessean, 20 Sep. 2025 Early roots Most people know Yellowstone was the first national park. Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 20 Sep. 2025 The cornbread, too, has stayed true to its roots. Melinda Salchert, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2025 The ancient roots of Latin America’s most beloved beverages run deep, but the modern spirits industry owes much more to Latin America and its people than just history. Carley Rojas Ávila, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025 Eternally proud of his Puerto Rican roots, Roberto Clemente played 18 seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 19 Sep. 2025 Net pots are plastic containers with slits that allow roots to grow through. The San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roots
Noun
  • Angels attorney Todd Theodora argued that Skaggs had multiple sources for drugs aside from Kay.
    City News Service, Oc Register, 23 Sep. 2025
  • When folded, the new device would look like two iPhone Airs stacked together, sources tell Gurman.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 22 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Both filmmakers traced their creative origins to childhood encounters with monsters and Japanese animation.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 Sep. 2025
  • Following this storyline, most accounts of Korea just after World War II look at these years for the origins of the Korean War.
    Kornel Chang September 19, Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Yet governments must also turn their attention to crises that are eroding the foundations of international stability.
    Feleti Penitala Teo, Time, 22 Sep. 2025
  • Some good foundations for anything else to grow from.
    Zack Sharf, Variety, 22 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Meanwhile, the Enchanted glittered with edible pink shimmer dust, and bursting with fruity, botanical flavors – Grey Goose with watermelon basil essences, vermouth and basil.
    John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Their moves come against the backdrop of a competitive primary fight for the Senate in 2026, as Paxton lodges a conservative challenge against the incumbent.
    Julia Mueller, The Hill, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • However, looking deep into these swirling cradles of planet formation has always been tricky.
    Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2025
  • Now on sale for less than $20, these pumpkin cradles are a simple but genius gardening hack that lifts squashes off the ground to prevent moisture build-up that can cause rot.
    Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Our hearts continue to be with the families.
    Ayesha Ali, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2025
  • Six seasons later, the foursome experienced countless romantic ups and downs — and one surprising pairing ultimately captured viewer's hearts as one of TV’s most beloved couples.
    Alexandra Schonfeld, PEOPLE, 23 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Splunk’s new approach embeds agentic AI directly into Splunk Observability Cloud and Splunk AppDynamics, which continuously analyzes telemetry, flags anomalies, diagnoses root causes and recommends fixes.
    Victor Dey, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • This technique embeds invisible commands inside the body of an email.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Roots.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roots. Accessed 26 Sep. 2025.

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